ENSAYO DE MICRONÚCLEOS DE CITOMA BUCAL EN TRABAJADORES DE FINCAS FRUTÍCOLAS QUE HAN APLICADO PLAGUICIDAS ALREDEDOR DE QUINCE AÑOS

Abstract

The application of pesticides is a common practice in agriculture. Many of these chemicals are associated with the induction of genetic damage. The chemical groups used and the methods of application vary from one region to another, what makes it difficult to transfer the evidence of genotoxicity detected in other geographical zones. In this research, the level of genetic damage was evaluated in people that have applied pesticides in fruit plantations of Mendoza, Argentina, for 15 ± 3.15 years. Buccal micronucleus cytome assay was used to determine the frequency of micronuclei and other nuclear alterations. Forty people participated in the study (field workers and a control group). Genetic damage in exposed workers showed an increase in micronucleated cells (p ≤ 0.01), nuclear buds and binucleated cells (p ≤ 0.05) compared to the control group. Sixty five per cent of workers have used between one and three personal protection elements, and 70 % have applied pesticides through a turbo disperser. The type and amount of personal protection elements, as well as the machinery used by these groups should be registered systematically in order to compare the results obtained elsewhere. The detected anomalies did not show statistical associations between the confounder factors and the types of agricultural practices. Biomarkers of genotoxicity that showed statistically significant increases in the exposed group can help to understand the current and future problems of health in the human group studied.