Occupational exposure to formaldehyde and biological monitoring of Research Institute workers.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to verify the presence of a relationship between formaldehyde exposure in the work environment with biological markers of exposure and of effect.


METHODS
Exposure to formaldehyde (FA) of 36 workers in different laboratories of a Cancer Research Institute and biomarkers of exposure, such as formaldehyde human serum albumin conjugate (FA-HSA) and biomarkers of effect, such as chromosome aberration (CA), micronuclei (MN) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the same workers.


RESULTS
Individual FA levels of exposure ranged from 4.9 microg/m(3) to 268.7 microg/m(3). Subjects with high FA exposure showed a significant increase of the biomarker of exposure FA-HSA, but biomarkers of effect did not show any significant differences.


CONCLUSIONS
A significant relationship was observed between occupational exposure to FA and a biological marker of exposure (FA-HSA). The markers of effect used (CA, MN and SCE) failed to indicate the presence of genetic damage.
Pala
Mauro
M
Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Unit of Environmental Chemistry and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Research Institute, Genoa, Italy.
Ugolini
Donatella
D
Ceppi
Marcello
M
Rizzo
Fabio
F
Maiorana
Lucia
L
Bolognesi
Claudia
C
Schilirò
Tiziana
T
Gilli
Giorgio
G
Bigatti
Paola
P
Bono
Roberto
R
Vecchio
Daniela
D
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012108:Research Personnel; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D005404:Fixatives; C044105:formaldehyde-serum albumin; D005557:Formaldehyde; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine