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.