Cytogenetic investigations in employees from waste disposal sites

In connection with extensive health studies of employees from two big central waste disposal sites, cytogenetic investigations were performed. The subject of these special analyses was to examine whether the complex mixture of pollutants from waste disposal sites comprises a genotoxic hazardous potential. Cytogenetic analyses were performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes of 82 exposed and 71 control persons as a coded study. For chromosome analysis, 1000 cells and for sister chromatid exchange (SCE) analysis, 50 cells had been scored per person. Compared with the matched control group, a highly significant increase of the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations was detected, especially in dicentric chromosomes (4.1 +/- 0.2 vs 1.5 +/- 0.1 per 1000 cells) and acentric fragments (6.9 +/- 0.3 vs 2.8 +/- 0.2 per 1000 cells), whereas no difference was found in SCE analysis. The occurrence of multiaberrant cells with more than two dicentric chromosomes was a striking feature in waste disposal site workers (23 vs 1 in control group). Frequencies of chromosomal aberrations were similar in exposed non-smokers and smokers. Only in the control group, a significant difference was observed in the incidence of dicentric chromosomes and SCE between non-smokers and smokers. The results of the first cytogenetic investigations on employees of two waste disposal sites indicate a genotoxic hazardous potential. Further research is urgently required.