INCREASES IN CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS AND IN ABNORMAL SPERM MORPHOLOGY IN RUBBER FACTORY-WORKERS

Subjects working at a rubber plant in a chemicals warehouse or in cala ndering and bambury units were analyzed for both sperm parameters and structural chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Spe rm analysis was performed in a group of 24 workers for comparison with fertile (n = 24) and infertile (n = 24) control groups. The statistic al analyses of semen volume, vitality and sperm count did not show sig nificant differences between exposed and fertile groups but significan t differences were found from the infertile group. A significantly low er proportion of normal sperm head shapes was found in exposed subject s when compared to the fertile group (40.1 vs. 57.8). Seven exposed wo rkers were re-analyzed 1 year later and their sperm parameters did not change. The cytogenetic analysis showed a significant increase (3.90% ) in the percentage of cells with aberrations in bambury workers (n = 11). However, no differences were found between calandering workers (n = 8) and control subjects (n = 10). Workplace air samples taken on th e day of tissue sampling did not show any increase above the Cuban max imal allowed concentration for benzo[a]pyrene or toluene.