Cytogenetic analysis of an exposed-referent study: perchloroethylene-exposed dry cleaners compared to unexposed laundry workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Butler MA ; Forrester CL ; McKernan, Lauralynn T. ; Ruder, Avima M. ; Sorensen KJ ; Tucker JD
• Description:
  Background: Significant numbers of people are exposed to tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, PCE) every year, including workers in the dry cleaning industry. Adverse health effects have been associated with PCE exposure. However, investigations of possible cumulative cytogenetic damage resulting from PCE exposure are lacking. Methods: Eighteen dry cleaning workers and 18 laundry workers (unexposed controls) provided a peripheral blood sample for cytogenetic analysis by whole chromosome painting. Pre-shift exhaled air on these same participants was collected and analyzed for PCE levels. The laundry workers were matched to the dry cleaners on race, age, and smoking status. The relationships between levels of cytological damage and exposures (including PCE levels in the shop and in workers' blood, packyears, cumulative alcohol consumption, and age) were compared with correlation coefficients and t-tests. Multiple linear regressions considered blood PCE, packyears, alcohol, and age. Results: There were no significant differences between the PCE-exposed dry cleaners and the laundry workers for chromosome translocation frequencies, but PCE levels were significantly correlated with percentage of cells with acentric fragments (R-2 = 0.488, p < 0.026). Conclusions: There does not appear to be a strong effect in these dry cleaning workers of PCE exposure on persistent chromosome damage as measured by translocations. However, the correlation between frequencies of acentric fragments and PCE exposure level suggests that recent exposures to PCE may induce transient genetic damage. More heavily exposed participants and a larger sample size will be needed to determine whether PCE exposure induces significant levels of persistent chromosome damage. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chemistry Cytotoxins Epidemiology Histocytochemistry Hypersensitivity Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety Urogenital System Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Chemical-hypersensitivity Chemical-properties Chemical-reactions Cytochemistry Cytotoxic-effects Dry-cleaning-industry Dry-cleaning-solvents Exposure-levels Exposure-methods Inhalation-studies Mathematical-models Occupational-exposure Occupational-health Quantitative-analysis Reproductive-effects Statistical-analysis Work-environment Work-operations Worker-health Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1476-069X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; District of Columbia ; Michigan ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; OD - Office of the Director ; DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  16
• Volume:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20038574
• Citation:
  Environ Health 2011 Mar; 10:16
• Contact Point Address:
  James D. Tucker, Department of Biological Sciences, 2117 Biological Sciences Building, 5047 Gullen Mall, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202-3917, USA
• Email:
  jtucker@biology.biosci.wayne.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Tetrachloroethylene (CAS RN 127-18-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:60379166d887e22ebd0f02f828e3893e34aa294f39d86eb53e2915a20e6f759fe59ef4874a5d74371be78c4b1279d09c3a299e087ec6d4ed42404615bb21b4fd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192228/cdc_192228_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 300.81 KB ]