Genotoxicity studies of rodents exposed to coal dust and diesel emission particulates

Genotoxicity studies with mice and/or rats have been conducted to evaluate the potential mutagenic hazard associated with exposures of coal miners to diesel emission particulates (DEP) and/or coal dusts (CD). Rats and mice were exposed to filtered air, DEP, and/or CD for periods ranging from 3 months to 2 years. Levels of respirable particulates were maintained at 2 mg/m3 in all exposed groups. DEP and/or CD were collected in the inhalation chambers in which animals were exposed. Urine samples were collected for 5 consecutive days from rats exposed to DEP and/or CD for 3, 6, and 24 months. The particulate samples extracted with dichloromethane and the urine samples concentrated with XAD-2 columns were analyzed for mutagenic activity by the Ames Salmonella/microsome assay system. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from rats exposed for 3 months were analyzed for sister chromatid exchanges (SCE). The femur bone marrow cells from rats exposed for 24 months and mice exposed for 6 months were analyzed for micronuclei in both polychromatic and normochromatic erythrocytes. The results indicate that the solvent extract of DEP was mutagenic, while no mutagenic activity was found for the CD extract. Combination of CD and DEP did not show any synergistic effect. No mutagenic activity was found for urine samples from rats exposed to DEP and/or CD for up to 2 years. A slight increase in the micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes over the control level was found in mice exposed to DEP and DEP plus CD for 6 months but the increase was not statistically significant. No increase in micronuclei was detected in rats exposed for 24 months. The frequencies of SCE in the peripheral lymphocytes of the 3-month-exposed rats were similar for control and DEP plus CD-exposed groups.