Micronucleus Frequencies in Exfoliated Urothelial Cells Among Individuals Residing Near a Waste Water Drain and Using Underground Water Resources

Abstract

A study was conducted to score for any genetic damage in residents of a village of the Amritsar district. The village is located near an open drain that receives industrial effluents and municipal wastes. Earlier analyses of samples from the drain and from underground water resources of the village showed the presence of heavy metals and bacteria, respectively. As the contaminants have a potential to leach into the ground water and as the residents of the village depend only on the underground water for their anthropogenic activities, it was thought pertinent to look for genetic damage in some of the residents. Urothelial cells of 50 male residents and 25 normal healthy males (not living near any drain) were analyzed for the presence of micronuclei using standard micronucleus (MN) test protocol. The mean percent frequency of micronucleated cells in the resident group was statistically significant (t-test) as compared to the value in the control group. The MN frequency also increased with increasing age of the residents and their stay in the village. A higher frequency was further observed in the subgroup using only ground water as compared to that also using tap water (but only for drinking purposes). These results indicate exposure from genotoxicants to the residents, most probably from using underground water in the light of absence of exposure to other sources.