A cytogenetic study on the teaching staff of a polluted school with a questionable increased incidence of malignancies

Abstract

Exposure to pollutants, in particular polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), was established at a school built in 1966. Because of a statistically conspicuous increased frequency of breast cancer observed in the teachers of the school this study was performed to ascertain whether the teachers in the polluted school have an increased level of micronucleated cells (MN) or sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) as an expression of a raised cytogenetic risk. Teachers in a directly adjacent school served as one control group and those from a school about 30 km away as a second one. Each teacher had to answer a questionnaire and after venous blood samples had been taken, the number of MN and SCE in peripheral lymphocytes were determined. For the teachers in the polluted school, in addition, the length of stay in the building during the last month and year was recorded. Thereby no correlation with the number of MN and SCE was proven. In comparison with the two control groups, neither the number of MN nor SCE was increased in the teachers of the polluted school. Even if their predictive value for cancer risk assessment is disputed, MN and SCE have a high rating as standard procedures in the proof of an exposure to genotoxic agents. This study thus does not provide any evidence that, for the teachers in the polluted school, a relevant exposure to genotoxic agents exists.