Research of relationship between occupational exposure to coal tar pitch workers and cytogenetic damage

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of coal tar pitch occupational exposure on the cytogenetic damage. Methods: In July 2015, 691 workers exposed to coal tar pitch were selected as contact group. The administrative and the support crew 201 cases were selected as control group. Detect the tail DNA% and tail moment in peripheral blood lymphocyte as DNA damage degree by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) . Detect the concentration of the metabolic product in urine by HPLC/MC as exposure levels. Results: The contact group were significantly higher than the control group in tail DNA% (contact group14.44%, control group 11.17%) and olive tail moment (contact group 2.85 μm, control group 1.95 μm) . The smoking one (contact group18.51%, control group13.43%) were significantly higher than the group not smoking (contact group12.69%, control group 11.71%) in tail DNA%. The coal tar pitch content in the air of workplace have correlation with worker, stail DNA% (r(s)=0.10) and olive tail moment (r(s)=0.11) . Conclusion: Occupational exposure to coal tar pitch and smoking can cause cytogenetic damage to workers.