Sister chromatid exchanges and structural chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes in operating room personnel

Information on possible chromosomal damage in humans after long-term exposure to trace concentrations of waste anaesthetic gases is scarce. We examined peripheral lymphocytes in operating room personnel for both chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE). Following a standardized procedure of cultivation and staining, 30 cells from each person were scored for SCE and 100 cells from each person were examined for chromosome aberrations. A total of 45 persons were examined, representing anaesthetists (n = 15), operating room nurses assisting the surgeon (n = 10), nurses circulating in the operating room (n = 8) and healthy, unexposed controls (n = 12). The median duration of working in the operating room was 102 months, 66 months and 66 months, respectively. Time-weighted concentration levels of 2.5-4.3 p.p.m. of halothane and 25-400 p.p.m. of nitrous oxide were measured in the breathing zones of the anaesthetists during mask anaesthesia. Examination of SCE and chromosome aberrations yielded corresponding qualitative results. With both tests, no statistically significant difference was observed between the four groups of persons. It was concluded that by examination of both SCE and chromosome aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes in operating room personnel, no indication was found of a mutagenic effect of long-term exposure to trace concentrations of waste anaesthetic gases.