BIOMONITORING STUDY OF A GROUP OF WORKERS POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO TRAFFIC FUMES

Risk assessment of environmental pollutants is concerned with the iden tification of compounds in the environment that might be hazardous to human health: measuring exposure levels, measuring cellular damage and then estimating the probability of harm occurring. The feasibility of such a comprehensive approach has been explored in this study of two groups of workers, one of which may be occupationally exposed to exhau st fumes. No statistically significant difference in cellular damage, as measured by the lymphocyte micronucleus assay, was found between th ese two groups of workers, although clear differences in exposure leve ls Co volatile organic compounds were detected. A number of other fact ors identified in the study did show clear effects on micronucleus fre quency. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.