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Výroba koksu představuje jednu z nejvyšších expozic polycyklickým aromatickým uhlovodíkům (PAU) v pracovním prostředí. Genotoxické účinky PAU na stropu koksárenské baterie byly hodnoceny metodou „Single cell gel assay“ („comet assay“), která odhaluje jednořetězcové zlomy a alkalilabilní místa DNA (biomarker expozice). Vnímavost jedinců k působení PAU byla analyzo- vána detekcí polymorfismu genů glutathion S-transferázy M1 (GSTM1) a N-acetyl transferázy 2 (NAT-2) (biomarkery vnímavosti). Studie zahrnuje 24 pracovníků koksáren, kontrolní skupinu tvoří 12 pracovníků železáren a dalších 16 osob z města. Expozice PAU byla hodnocena osobními odběrovými soupravami 8 hodin před odebráním vzorků krve a moče. Pracovníci z koksáren byli expono- váni karcinogennímu PAU (medián, rozpětí) za směnu 18,7 mg/m 3 (5,1 - 300,2 mg/m 3 ), kontrola ze železáren 0,41 mg/m 3 (0,12 - 1,22 mg/m 3 ), kontrola z města 0,58 mg/m 3 (0,09 - 1,64 mg/m 3 ). Při detekci poškození DNA metodou „comet assay“ v periferních lymfocytech bylo hodnoceno % DNA v ocase komety (%T) a délka ocasu komety (TL) v mm. Nejvyšší úroveň %T a TL byla pozorována u kontrolní skupiny ze železáren 14,5 (6,1 - 15,7), 23,5 (11,6-35,8) vs. 6,2 (13,2 - 15,4) a 11,4 (7,4 - 29,5) u exponované skupiny a 5,9 (3,8 - 11,0), 10,9 (8,4 - 20,0) u kontrolní skupiny z města. Rozdíly nebyly pozorovány ani při použití koeficientu disperze. Parametry „comet assay“ nebyly ovlivněny kouřením ani genotypy GSTM1 a NAT-2. Určení parametrů „comet assay“ v periferních lymfocytech pracovníků koksáren neodráželo expozici karcinogenním PAU v koksárenských emisích.

Coke oven production represents one of the highest exposures of PAHs in the working environment. Genotoxic effects of PAHs on the top-side of coke oven battery were evaluated by the „Single cell gel assay“ (comet assay), detecting the DNA single strand breaks and alkalilabile sites (biomarkers of exposure). Individual susceptibility to PAH exposure was analysed by glutathion S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) polymorphism and N-acetyl transferase 2 (NAT-2) polymorphism detection (biomarkers of susceptibili- ty). The study included 24 subjects from coke-oven, 12 subjects of controls from iron-work and other 16 subjects from town. Exposure to PAHs was determined by personal exposure monitoring 8 h before the collection of blood and urine samples. Coke-oven workers were exposed to carcinogenic PAHs (median, range) in the course of shift 18.7 mg/m 3 (5.1 - 300.2 mg/m 3 ), controls from iron-work 0.41 mg/m 3 (0.12 - 1.22 mg/m 3 ), controls from town 0.58 mg/m 3 (0.09 - 1.64 mg/m 3 ). The following comet parameters were evaluated in peripheral lymphocytes 100 images/sample: percentage of DNA in comet tail (%T), comet tail length (TL) in mm. The highest level of %T and TL was observed in controls from iron-work 14.5 (6.1 - 15.7) and 23.5 (11.6 - 35.8) vs. 6.2 (3.2 - 15.4) and 11.4 (7.4 - 29.5) in coke- oven workers vs. 5.9 (3.8 - 11.0) and 10.9 (8.4 - 20.0) in controls from town, respectively. Any differences were not seen either using coefficient of dispersion. No effects of smoking or GSTM1 or NAT-2 polymorphism were observed for any of comet parameters. According to our results it seems that the comet assay in the peripheral lymphocytes of coke-oven workers was not a particularly sensitive technique to determine the effects of carcinogenic PAHs at the DNA level, if peripheral lymphocytes were used.

MeSH
Biomarkers MeSH
Adult MeSH
Carcinogens MeSH
Coke MeSH
Air Pollutants, Occupational MeSH
Humans MeSH
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons adverse effects MeSH
DNA Damage MeSH
Occupational Exposure MeSH
Check Tag
Adult MeSH
Humans MeSH
Publication type
Comparative Study MeSH

Article

Pulmonary functions of school children in highly polluted northern Bohemia

Archives of environmental health. 1997 ; 52 (1) : 56-62. [pub] -

Arch Environ Health
ISSN 0003-9896
Medvik
Source

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether pulmonary function in children who were lifetime residents of the highly polluted district of Teplice in northern Bohemia was lower than that for children who were lifetime residents of the cleaner district of Prachatice in southern Bohemia. Forced expiratory spirometry was measured twice (February/March and April) in approximately 235 eighth-grade students in each district. On both testing occasions, height-adjusted forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% forced vital capacity were significantly lower (p < .001) in children from Teplice than in those from Prachatice. These differences were not associated with parental smoking habits, presence of pets, heating/cooking fuels, private home/apartment residency, or rural/urban residency. In Teplice, no differences were observed between lung functions measured at the end of the high pollution season (February/March) and those measured after the children breathed much cleaner air for a 4-wk period (April). This result was suggestive of a condition of chronically depressed lung function. No differences across times were observed in Prachatice, indicating that our measurements were reliable.

Article

Visual contrast sensitivity deficits in Bohemian children

Neurotoxicology. 1996 ; 17 (3-4) : 615-628. [pub] -

ISSN 0161-813X
Medvik
Source

Visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) tests have been used successfully in medical diagnosis and subclinical neurotoxicity detection. This paper reports VCS measurements in three studies of children in the Czech Republic. Study 1 compared children in standard schools and schools for the learning disabled. Studies 2 and 3 compared children in Teplice, an area in which soft-brown coal combustion produced high levels of pollutants (e.g. Hg, As, SO2, NOx, and aromatic hydrocarbons), with children in areas of low air pollution, Znojmo and/or Prachatice. It was hypothesized that in utero exposure to the combustion products disrupted neurological development (Sram, 1991). The VCS test (Stereo Optical Co.) consisted of circular fields containing sinusoidal gratings at 5 spatial frequencies (1.5-18 cycles/degree) and various levels of contrast. Subjects indicated orientation of the gratings by pointing left, up, or right. Visual acuity and VCS were measured in each eye of 74 children in Study 1,327 second-grade children in Study 2, and 426 fourth-grade children in Study 3. Hair samples were collected in Studies 2 and 3 analyzed for Hg and As content. Children attending schools for the learning disabled scored significantly lower than controls on VCS, whereas visual acuity was normal. The deficit was greatest at mid- to high spatial frequency. In Study 2, significant VCS deficits were seen in exposed second-grade children at low to mid-spatial frequency, even though visual acuity was slightly above control level. Regression analyses showed that VCS had no relationship to As, but a significant negative correlation with hair Hg was observed in the exposed district. However, current Hg levels were higher in Prachatice. VCS deficits were not observed in the fourth-grade students of Teplice in Study 3. The results of Study 1 indicated that behavioral VCS testing in field studies is practical in young, non-English speaking children, and suggested that vision may be compromised in learning-disabled children. Studies 2 and 3 indicated that at these levels, current Hg body-burdens are poor predictors of VCS. If the VCS deficits seen in Study 2 were related to prenatal exposures, the results of Study 3 suggest that they represent a developmental delay. A longitudinal-study design is needed to address this issue.