title: Biomonitoring with Micronuclei Test in Buccal Cells of Female Farmers and Children Exposed to Pesticides of Maneadero Agricultural Valley, Baja California, Mexico.
abstract: Feminization of the agricultural labor is common in Mexico; these women and their families are vulnerable to several health risks including genotoxicity. Previous papers have presented contradictory information with respect to indirect exposure to pesticides and DNA damage. We aimed to evaluate the genotoxic effect in buccal mucosa from female farmers and children, working in the agricultural valley of Maneadero, Baja California. Frequencies of micronucleated cells (MNc) and nuclear abnormalities (NA) in 2000 cells were obtained from the buccal mucosa of the study population (n = 144), divided in four groups: (1) farmers (n = 37), (2) unexposed (n = 35), (3) farmers' children (n = 34), and (4) unexposed children (n = 38). We compared frequencies of MNc and NA and fitted generalized linear models to investigate the interaction between these variables and exposition to pesticides. Differences were found between farmers and unexposed women in MNc (p < 0.0001), CC (p = 0.3376), and PN (p < 0.0001). With respect to exposed children, we found higher significant frequencies in MNc (p < 0.0001), LN (p < 0.0001), CC (p < 0.0001), and PN (p < 0.004) when compared to unexposed children. Therefore working as a farmer is a risk for genotoxic damage; more importantly indirectly exposed children were found to have genotoxic damage, which is of concern, since it could aid in future disturbances of their health.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, 22800 Ensenada, BC, Mexico.
authors.forename: Idalia Jazmin
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Castañeda-Yslas
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, 22800 Ensenada, BC, Mexico.
authors.forename: María Evarista
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Arellano-García
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, 22800 Ensenada, BC, Mexico.
authors.forename: Marco Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: García-Zarate
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, 22800 Ensenada, BC, Mexico.
authors.forename: Balam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruíz-Ruíz
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, 44100 Guadalajara, JAL, Mexico.
authors.forename: María Guadalupe
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Zavala-Cerna
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, 44100 Guadalajara, JAL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Torres-Bugarín