Abstract
BackgroundTo determine the possible genotoxic effect of exposure to the smoke generated by biomass burning on workers involved in manual sugar cane harvesting.MethodsThe frequency of micronuclei in exfoliated buccal cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined in sugarcane workers in the Barretos region of Brazil, during the harvest season and compared to a control population, comprised of administrative employees of Barretos Cancer Hospital.ResultsThe frequency of micronuclei was higher in the sugar cane workers. The mean frequency in blood lymphocytes (micronuclei/1000 cells) in the test group was 8.22 versus 1.27 in the control group. The same effect was observed when exfoliated buccal cells were considered (22.75 and 9.70 micronuclei/1000 cells for sugar cane workers and controls, respectively).ConclusionExposure to emissions produced by the burning of sugar cane during harvesting induces genomic instability in workers, indicating the necessity of adopting more advanced techniques of harvesting sugar cane to preserve human health.
Highlights
To determine the possible genotoxic effect of exposure to the smoke generated by biomass burning on workers involved in manual sugar cane harvesting
Determination of micronucleus frequency in blood lymphocytes Blood was collected in vacuum tubes (BD TriPath Imaging, Burlington, N.C., USA)
Four sugar cane workers and three controls were using medications that are not associated with genotoxic effects (Table 1)
Summary
To determine the possible genotoxic effect of exposure to the smoke generated by biomass burning on workers involved in manual sugar cane harvesting. Biofuels have been considered a cleaner and more sustainable alternative compared to fossil fuels. Sugar cane ethanol is one of the most widely used sources of ethanol in Brazil, which has run a program for using ethanol as an automotive fuel since the mid-1970s. Brazil contains 25% of the total land worldwide that is planted with sugarcane. The state of São Paulo is the largest producer of this crop; between 2001 and 2011, the production of sugarcane grew 121% due to the use of biofuels in cars. When projecting a future scenario with an increased production, it is important to focus on the health effects
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