BIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF WORKERS IN THE RUBBER INDUSTRY .1. CHROMOSOMAL-ABERRATIONS AND SISTER-CHROMATID EXCHANGES IN LYMPHOCYTES OF VULCANIZERS

To evaluate the possible genetic consequences of the industrial exposure among the vulcanizers of a rubber plan in the in vivo levels of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges were measured in peripheral lymphocytes of 34 vulcanizers and in an adequate control population. The observed chromosomal aberration frequencies were 1.9 .+-. 1.4 aberrations/100 cells in the exposed group and 2.1 .+-. 1.5 aberrations/100 cells in the controls. No difference was found between 2 groups for the mean value of sister-chromatid exchanges (5.2 .+-. 1.3 in the exposed, 5.2 .+-. 0.7 in the control group). Cigarette-smoking was clearly associated with increased sister-chromatid exchange frequencies both in the exposed and in the control groups, while chromosomal aberration frequencies were not correlated with smoking habits.