title: Genotoxicity in agricultural farmers from Guntur district of South India--A case study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pesticides play an important role in controlling the pests on agricultural crops and thereby to increase the yield of agricultural produce. Farmers occupationally exposed to pesticides during spraying activities are more prone to genotoxicity than unexposed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the genotoxicity in farmers, engaged in spraying complex mixture of pesticides in the cultivation of cotton crops.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total number of 152 male subjects were selected randomly from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh (AP), South India. The demographic particulars viz., personal habits, duration of exposure to pesticides, types of pesticides used were collected from the study subjects using an interview schedule. Among them 76 subjects were farmers and the remaining individuals served as unexposed or controls. Blood samples from these subjects were collected for assessing the genetic damage by chromosomal aberrations (CAs) test and micronucleus test (MNT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the study indicated that CA was significantly higher with 2.8% in farmers who were exposed to pesticides when compared to unexposed (0.72%). However, there was a minor difference in MN with 0.13% and 0.12% between exposed and unexposed which was not statistically significant (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A correlation between CA frequency and exposure to benzene hexachloride (BHC) pesticide residue was observed.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, AP, India. padmajajn@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Padmaja R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Jonnalagadda
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jahan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venkatasubramanian
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Aye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Venkaiah
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hasan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides