title: A comparison of the human buccal cell assay and the pollen abortion assay in assessing genotoxicity in an urban-rural gradient.
abstract: Air pollution is exacerbated near heavy traffic roads in cities. Air pollution concentration and composition vary by region and depend on urban-rural gradients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of air pollution in areas of varying population densities and to compare plant biomonitoring with an established biomarker of human exposure to traffic-related air pollution in children. The areas of study were selected near a major street in 3 different regions. Areas A, B and C represent high, intermediate and low population densities, respectively. Micronucleus assay, an established biomarker of human exposure, was performed in children from these areas. For a plant biomonitoring assay, the pollen abortion assay was performed on Bauhinia variegata in these areas. NO2 and O3 concentrations were determined by passive sampling. We report here that the pollen abortion frequency in Bauhinia variegata is correlated with NO2 concentration (P = 0.004) and is strongly associated with vehicular flow and population density in the studied areas. Micronuclei frequency in buccal cells of children was higher in the regions with more degree of urbanization (P < 0.001) following the same pattern of O3 concentrations (P = 0.030). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that high concentrations of air pollutants in Porto Alegre are related to both human and plant genotoxicity. Areas with different concentration of pollutants demonstrated to have an urbanization gradient dependent pattern which also reflected on genotoxic damage among these areas.
authors.affiliation: Oxidative Stress and Air Pollution Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Sarmento Leite Street, 245, Room 9. Porto Alegre 90050-170, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. alansfleck@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alan da Silveira
authors.initials: Ada S
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.affiliation: Oxidative Stress and Air Pollution Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Sarmento Leite Street, 245, Room 9. Porto Alegre 90050-170, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. mariana_v007@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Oxidative Stress and Air Pollution Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Sarmento Leite Street, 245, Room 9. Porto Alegre 90050-170, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. samantea@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Sergio Luís
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Amantéa
authors.affiliation: Oxidative Stress and Air Pollution Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Sarmento Leite Street, 245, Room 9. Porto Alegre 90050-170, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. crhoden@ufcspa.edu.br.
authors.forename: Claudia Ramos
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rhoden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D036481:Bauhinia / Q000737:chemistry; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry*; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide