Increased cytogenetic damage in outdoor painters

Painters are exposed to an extensive variety of hazardous substances such a s organic solvents, lead-containing pigments and residual plastic monomers. In this particular case, workers used commercially available exterior pain ts and occasionally gasoline or thinner as solvents. The application or rem oval of paints was performed without protection (masks or gloves). To deter mine occupational exposure risk, a monitoring study was designed. Group sel ection was made after a questionnaire administration, which included questi ons about lifestyle and medical history to exclude exposure to other potent ial sources of genotoxics. Smoking and drinking habits were also considered . Blood and buccal cell samples were obtained from 25 public building male painters and from a similar number of age- and gender-matched controls. Lea d levels were measured in paint samples and in individuals' blood. Organic solvents and/or its metabolites were also determined in blood. Chromosomal aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) were determined in pe ripheral blood lymphocyte cultures. Also, the frequency of micronuclei (MN) in buccal cells was investigated. Painters had higher lead levels in blood (p < 0.05); CA and SCE in lymphocytes and MN in epithelial cells were also elevated (p < 0.05). Cytogenetic damage was significantly associated with occupational exposure time but not with the levels of lead found in blood. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.