K. Seiji et al., ABSENCE OF MUTAGENICITY IN PERIPHERAL LYMPHOCYTES OF WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO METHYL-METHACRYLATE, Industrial Health, 32(2), 1994, pp. 97-105
Chromosome aberration rates and sister chromatid exchange frequency we
re examined in the peripheral lymphocytes of 38 male workers who were
engaged in organic glass production and exposed to methyl methacrylate
(MMA) vapors at the concentrations of 0.9 ppm to 71.9 ppm. The result
s were compared with the findings in the concurrent nonexposed male su
bjects. Comparison of the exposed group with the nonexposed controls s
howed that there were no exposure-related changes in chromosome aberra
tion rate. SCE frequency was higher in the exposed group than in the c
ontrols, but this was considered to be due to higher ages of the forme
r group than that of the latter. In fact, selection of nonsmokers and
further classification of the exposed nonsmokers into two groups of th
ose with exposure below and above a median MMA concentration (ca. 4 pp
m) failed to show any difference among the three nonsmoking groups in
cytogenetic parameters, or any dose-dependency, The present results, a
lthough in a limited number of subjects, indicate that occupational me
thyl methacrylate exposure under the conditions studied is not associa
ted with mutagenicity. This conclusion confirms the absence of mutagen
icity of methyl methacrylate in humans, and is in general agreement wi
th a majority of the results of studies on mutagenicity in vitro, anim
al carcinogenicity and occupational cancer epidemiology of methyl meth
acrylate.