title: Occupational exposure to formaldehyde and biological monitoring of Research Institute workers.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Unit of Environmental Chemistry and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Research Institute, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ugolini
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceppi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maiorana
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bolognesi
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schilirò
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gilli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bigatti
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vecchio
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D005404:Fixatives; C044105:formaldehyde-serum albumin; D005557:Formaldehyde; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine