[Genetic damage in peripheral blood lymphocyte of 1,3-butadiene workers]

To investigate the DNA and chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocyte of workers occupationally exposed to 1,3-butadiene (BD).

Personal information including occupational history, age, sex, smoking and drinking status was collected by the questionnaire. Gas chromatography was used to analyze the BD level. One hundred and eighty 1,3-butadiene workers and 58 controls without occupational BD exposure were investigated. Comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) detection were used to evaluate DNA and chromosomal damage levels in peripheral blood lymphocyte.

The concentration of BD in the working environment of BD-exposed workers was 1.80 (0.59-2.76) mg/m3. The rate of CBMN, NPB, NBUD and Olive TM of lymphocyte in BD-exposed workers [(6.76 +/- 4.99) per thousand, 1.00 (0.00-4.00), 2.00 (0.00-7.00) and 4.64 (3.50-5.98), respectively] were higher than those in controls [(3.10 +/- 2.65) per thousdand, 0.00 (0.00-2.80), 1.00 (0.00- 5.00) and 2.34 (0.82-3.93), P < 0.01]. According to the length of work, 180 BD-exposed workers were classified into 3 groups: 1 yrs-, 14.0 yrs- and 20.0 yrs-group, respectively after adjusting the age,sex, smoking and drinking, the rate of CBMN was a rising tendency along with the increase in length of work.

Under present BD exposure levels, both comet assay and Cytokinesis-block micronucleus test could detect BD-induced genotoxicity in BD-exposed workers, and are more suitable to assess the cumulative damage effect on DNA.