title: Evaluation of genotoxicity in workers exposed to low levels of formaldehyde in a furniture manufacturing facility.
abstract: Formaldehyde (FA) is a chemical widely used in the furniture industry and has been classified as a potential human carcinogen. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occupational exposure of workers to FA at a furniture manufacturing facility and the relationship between environmental concentrations of FA, formic acid concentration in urine, and DNA damage. The sample consisted of 46 workers exposed to FA and a control group of 45 individuals with no history of occupational exposure. Environmental concentrations of FA were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Urinary formic acid concentrations were determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. DNA damage was evaluated by the micronucleus (MN) test performed in exfoliated buccal cells and comet assay with venous blood. The 8-h time-weighted average of FA environmental concentration ranged from 0.03 ppm to 0.09 ppm at the plant, and the control group was exposed to a mean concentration of 0.012 ppm. Workers exposed to higher environmental FA concentrations had urinary formic acid concentrations significantly different from those of controls (31.85 mg L(-1) vs. 19.35 mg L(-), p ≤ 0.01 Mann-Whitney test). Significant differences were found between control and exposed groups for the following parameters: damage frequency and damage index in the comet assay, frequency of binucleated cells in the MN test, and formic acid concentration in urine. The frequency of micronuclei, nuclear buds, and karyorrhexis did not differ between groups. There was a positive correlation between environmental concentrations of FA and damage frequency (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [r s] = 0.24), damage index (r s = 0.21), binucleated cells (r s = 0.34), and urinary formic acid concentration (r s = 0.63). The results indicate that, although workers in the furniture manufacturing facility were exposed to low environmental levels of FA, this agent contributes to the observed increase in cytogenetic damage. In addition, urinary formic acid concentrations correlated strongly with occupational exposure to FA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicological Analysis, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil gipeteffi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giovana Piva
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Peteffi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciano Basso
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicological Analysis, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Venzon
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduarda Trevizani
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Valandro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jéssica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glaeser
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Djeine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaefer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicological Analysis, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Linden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000633:toxicity*; D005561:Formates / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005561:Formates; C030544:formic acid; D005557:Formaldehyde
keywords: Biomarkers; environmental monitoring; formaldehyde; formic acid in urine; genotoxicity; occupational exposure