Human emotional stress, dioxin blood content and genetic damage in Chapaevsk town

Forty five women from Chapaevsk town (three groups of 14-16 persons aged 20 -40 yr) with different exposures to dioxins and different dioxin levels in blood were tested by four standard psychological questionnaires to detect e motional stress. Results of psychological testing were compared with indivi dual dioxin blood contents and chromosome aberration level in blood cells. Results of the investigation were the next: (1) three groups tested differe d significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) in emotional stress level, t hus that highest level of stress was detected within the group with the hig hest dioxin blood contents (group "Workers"); (2) high level of correlation between emotional stress and individual dioxins blood contents (up P less than or equal to 0.001) as well as between emotional stress and individual chromosome aberration level (up P less than or equal to 0.05) was revealed. These results are discussed from the position of desadaptation induced by dioxins, which led to chromosome aberration induction. (C) 2001 Published b y Elsevier Science Ltd.