Chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in Swedish paint industry workers

Workers in the Swedish paint industry exposed to a mixture of organic solvents, mainly containing xylene or toluene, were investigated for genotoxic effects. No difference in the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), 0.192 and 0.193 per chromosome, respectively, was noted in the peripheral lymphocytes of the exposed group of 17 workers and their matched reference group. No correlation was found between xylene or toluene exposure and SCE frequency nor between total solvent exposure and SCE frequency. The frequency of chromosome aberrations was also investigated for the five most exposed workers and their matched referents, and no difference was found. There was no correlation between SCE and chromosome breaks.