Monitoring human genotoxicity risk associated to urban and industrial Buenos Aires air pollution exposure.
The quality of life in large megacities is directly affected by its air quality. In urban environments, suspended particles from anthropogenic origin is one of the main air contaminants identified as highly genotoxic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic. Atmospheric monitoring is therefore imperative, and bioassays to detect the effects of genotoxic agents give usually excellent results. Analysis of micronucleus (MN) in exfoliated oral mucosa cells is a sensitive non-invasive method for monitoring genetic damage in human populations. The first aim of this study was to analyze and characterize levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in two areas from Buenos Aires: La Plata city, an urban (U) area and Ensenada, an industrial (I) area. Secondly, we evaluated the possible health risk of its inhabitants through a simple genotoxic assay on exfoliated oral mucosa cells. Whole blood cell count and nuclear abnormalities frequencies were evaluated in the exfoliated oral mucosa cells from urban and industrial inhabitants. Smoking habit represented a significant factor increasing MN percentage while, age did not increase the production of any of the nuclear aberrations assayed (micronuclei, binucleated, karyorrhexis) when the inhabitants from the urban and the industrial areas were compared. In addition, changes in MN and binucleated cell percentages in males and females were found to be area-dependent. We suggest that regardless PM concentration, PM-specific characteristics (size, shape, chemical elements, etc.) and VOCs levels could be responsible for the different harmful genotoxic effects seen in the two areas. Although this is a preliminary study, our results allowed to recognize that individuals living in both the urban and the industrial areas could be considered susceptible groups and should periodically undergo biological monitoring and appropriate care.
['de Los A Gutiérrez|María|M|', 'Palmieri|Mónica A|MA|', 'Giuliani|Daniela S|DS|', 'Colman Lerner|Jorge E|JE|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9499-6261', 'Maglione|Guillermo|G|', 'Andrinolo|Darío|D|', 'Tasat|Deborah R|DR|']
D000393:Air Pollutants D000397:Air Pollution D002947:Cities D004249:DNA Damage D004784:Environmental Monitoring D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D052638:Particulate Matter D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons D011788:Quality of Life
Genotoxicity Air pollution Urban environment Micronucleus Industrial environment