Abstract
We investigated the micronucleus frequencies in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 225 mastic asphalt workers (age 17–62 years) and 69 non-bitumen-exposed road construction workers (age 18–64 years) in Germany before and after the working shift. Median shift exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen of exposed workers was 3.0 mg/m³. Micronuclei (MN) were determined with a standard method using cytochalasin B. Median MN frequency was 6.0 (interquartile range (IQR) 4.0–8.5) MN/1,000 binucleated lymphocytes (MN/1,000 BNC) in exposed workers and 6.0 (IQR 4.0–8.3) MN/1,000 BNC in non-exposed workers before shift. After shift, we observed 6.5 (IQR 4.4–9.3) MN/1,000 BNC in exposed workers and 6.5 (IQR 4.0–9.0) MN/1,000 BNC in non-exposed workers. Regression models were applied with the log-transformed MN frequency as the dependent variable in order to estimate the effects of exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen and of potential confounders. Age was the strongest predictor of MN formation in both exposed workers and referents. Our data suggest that MN formation was not associated with concentration of vapours and aerosols of bitumen during shift at the individual level. Although similar MN frequencies were observed in both groups, the modelling of factors potentially influencing MN frequency revealed a weak group difference in the post-shift model. We conclude that this small difference cannot be judged to be a relevant mutagenic effect of exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen, also with regard to the lack of adjustment for multiple testing and the lack of a group effect in the original data.
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Acknowledgments
The Human Bitumen Study was initiated by the German Committee for Hazardous Substances (AGS) and the German Bitumen Forum and financially supported by: German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Eurobitume, Deutscher Asphaltverband e.V., Concawe, Zentralverband des Deutschen Dachdeckerhandwerks, Industrieverband Bitumen-, Dach- und Dichtungsbahnen e.V., Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und Chemische Industrie (BG RCI) and Aksys GmbH, Beratungsstelle Gussasphaltanwendungen (bga), BG BAU, Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Bitumenindustrie (Arbit). We thank all workers having participated in the Human Bitumen Study. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the field team especially Anne Flagge, Anja Molkenthin, Bianca Wachter, Dieter Höber, Gerd Zoubek, and in parts of the study Klaus Schott (†) and Hans-Jürgen Schicker and the team in the laboratory especially Anja Erkes for their skilful technical assistance.
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Welge, P., Marczynski, B., Raulf-Heimsoth, M. et al. Assessment of micronuclei in lymphocytes from workers exposed to vapours and aerosols of bitumen. Arch Toxicol 85 (Suppl 1), 65–71 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-011-0683-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-011-0683-4