US EPA

6129394 

Journal Article 

Occupational exposure to formaldehyde and early biomarkers of cancer risk, immunotoxicity and susceptibility 

Costa, S; Costa, C; Madureira, J; Valdiglesias, V; Teixeira-Gomes, A; Guedes de Pinho, P; Laffon, B; Teixeira, JP 

2019 

Yes 

Environmental Research
ISSN: 0013-9351
EISSN: 1096-0953 

179 

Pt A 

108740 

English 

31563789 

10.1016/j.envres.2019.108740 

WOS:000497259100023 

https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/occupational-exposure-formaldehyde-early/docview/2315257179/se-2?accountid=171501
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Formaldehyde (FA) is a high-volume production chemical manufactured worldwide to which many people are exposed to both environmentally and occupationally. FA was recently reclassified as a human carcinogen. Several epidemiological studies have revealed an increased risk of cancer development among workers exposed to FA. Although FA genotoxicity was confirmed in a variety of experimental systems, data from human studies are conflicting. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occupational exposure to FA in a multistage approach relating the exposure with different biomarkers (dose and effect) and individual susceptibility. Air monitoring was performed to estimate the level of exposure to FA during shift work. Eighty-five workers from hospital anatomy-pathology laboratories exposed to FA and 87 controls were tested for cytogenetic alterations in lymphocytes (micronucleus, MN; sister-chromatid exchange, SCE) and T-cell receptor (TCR) mutation assay. The frequency of MN in exfoliated buccal cells, a first contact tissue was also assessed. Percentages of different lymphocyte subpopulations were selected as immunotoxicity biomarkers. The level of formic acid in urine was investigated as a potential biomarker of internal dose. The effects of polymorphic genes of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes and DNA repair enzymes on the endpoints studied were determined. The mean level of FA exposure was 0.38 ± 0.03 ppm. MN (in lymphocytes and buccal cells) and SCE were significantly increased in FA-exposed workers compared to controls. MN frequency positively correlated with FA levels of exposure and duration. Significant alterations in the percentage of T cytotoxic lymphocytes, NK cells and B lymphocytes were found between groups. Polymorphisms in CYP2E1, GSTP1 and FANCA genes were associated with increased genetic damage in FA-exposed subjects. The obtained information may provide new important data to be used by health and safety care programs and by governmental agencies responsible for setting the acceptable levels for occupational exposure to FA. 

article; absorbed dose; biomarkers; B-lymphocytes; carcinogenesis; carcinogens; crossing over; cytotoxicity; DNA repair; enzymes; epidemiological studies; formaldehyde; formic acid; genotoxicity; hospitals; immunotoxicity; monitoring; mutation; natural killer cells; neoplasms; occupational exposure; T-lymphocytes; work schedules; xenobiotics