CYTOGENETIC CHANGES IN HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES FROM WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELDS

The present study was carried out to assess the possible cytogenetic c hanges in peripheral blood lymphocytes as a means of monitoring human populations subjected to environmental electromagnetic fields. The mea n frequencies of chromosome aberrations (CA) and sister-chromatid exch anges (SCE) were determined in 72-h whole blood cultures from 15 worke rs (mean age 31.4 +/- 5.6 years) occupationally exposed to 50 Hz elect romagnetic field from a 132-230 kV electric supply substation. Compare d to a control group of eight men (mean age 31.6 +/- 6.12 years), the percentage of aberrant cells was significantly increased (12.83 +/- 1. 28% for exposed and 7.00 +/- 0.6% for nonexposed). No statistical diff erence was observed in the mean SCE values between the exposed (5.40 /- 0.15) and the nonexposed (5.12 +/- 0.55) groups. Furthermore, the c ell proliferation index (CPI) and the mitotic index (MI) were analyzed . The two indices were significantly lower in the exposed group than i n the nonexposed one: 1.44 versus 1.60 and 1.45 versus 1.79 for the tw o indices, respectively. The smoking habit did not influence any of th e parameters investigated.