Daño al ADN en mujeres expuestas al humo de la leña en Chiapas, México / DNA damage in women exposed to firewood fuel smoke in Chiapas, Mexico

Actualmente alrededor de la cuarta parte de la población mexicana, entre 25 y 28 millones de habitantes, cocina con leña. Sin embargo, el humo de la leña contiene una amplia gama de sustancias tóxicas, entre ellas el monóxido de carbono (CO) cuyo impacto en la salud de la población rural debe ser estudiado. Por esto, el potencial daño al ADN asociado con la exposición a CO de 30 mujeres que cocinaban con leña en Chiapas, México, fue evaluado por el ensayo cometa. Los resultados se compararon con 30 controles comparables en edad y condiciones socioeconómicas, quienes cocinaban con gas licuado de petróleo (GLP). Se obtuvieron muestras de sangre total para medir carboxihemoglobina (COHb) y llevar a cabo el ensayo cometa. Se encontró diferencia significativa (P<0,001) en las concentraciones de COHb entre las mujeres que cocinaban con leña (media= 6,6%) y las que lo hacían con GLP (media= 1,8%), siendo 3,6 veces más elevadas en las primeras antes citadas que en las segundas. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en la longitud de cola (media ± DE = 18,5 +/- 4,21 contra 5,97 +/- 1,0 μm, P<0,001) y en el momento de cola (media ± DE = 4,55 +/- 1,5 contra 1,5 +/- 0,40, P<0,001) del cometa entre los dos grupos examinados. Los resultados del presente estudio sugieren fuertemente que la exposición a CO y componentes presentes en el humo de la leña, puede causar daño genotóxico a las mujeres que hacen uso de este combustible, por lo que es necesario implementar medidas que disminuyan esta exposición.

Currently, about a quarter of the Mexican population, between 25 and 28 million people, cook with firewood. However, wood smoke contains a wide range of toxic substances, including carbon monoxide (CO) whose impact on health of the rural population should be studied. Therefore, the potential DNA damage associated with the exposition to CO of 30 women who cooked with wood in Chiapas, Mexico, was assessed using Comet Assay. Results were compared with 30 controls of similarage and socioeconomic status, who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). We obtained whole blood samples to measure carboxyhemoglobin (% COHb) and perform the comet assay. There was a significant difference (P <0.001) in the percentages of COHb between women who cooked with wood (mean= 6.6%) and those who did it with LPG (mean=1.8%) being 3.6 times higher in the former compared with the latter. There was a significant difference in comet tail length between the two groups examined (mean 18.5 +/- 4.21 versus 5.97 +/- 1.0 μm, P <0.001) and tail moment (mean 4.55 +/- 1.5 versus 1.5 +/- 0.40, P <0.001). The results of this study strongly suggest that exposure to carbon monoxide and compounds present in wood smoke can cause genotoxic damage to women who use this fuel, so it is necessary to implement measures to reduce this exposure.

Daño al ADN en mujeres expuestas al humo de la leña en Chiapas, México / DNA damage in women exposed to firewood fuel smoke in Chiapas, Mexico

Actualmente alrededor de la cuarta parte de la población mexicana, entre 25 y 28 millones de habitantes, cocina con leña. Sin embargo, el humo de la leña contiene una amplia gama de sustancias tóxicas, entre ellas el monóxido de carbono (CO) cuyo impacto en la salud de la población rural debe ser estudiado. Por esto, el potencial daño al ADN asociado con la exposición a CO de 30 mujeres que cocinaban con leña en Chiapas, México, fue evaluado por el ensayo cometa. Los resultados se compararon con 30 controles comparables en edad y condiciones socioeconómicas, quienes cocinaban con gas licuado de petróleo (GLP). Se obtuvieron muestras de sangre total para medir carboxihemoglobina (COHb) y llevar a cabo el ensayo cometa. Se encontró diferencia significativa (P<0,001) en las concentraciones de COHb entre las mujeres que cocinaban con leña (media= 6,6%) y las que lo hacían con GLP (media= 1,8%), siendo 3,6 veces más elevadas en las primeras antes citadas que en las segundas. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en la longitud de cola (media ± DE = 18,5 +/- 4,21 contra 5,97 +/- 1,0 μm, P<0,001) y en el momento de cola (media ± DE = 4,55 +/- 1,5 contra 1,5 +/- 0,40, P<0,001) del cometa entre los dos grupos examinados. Los resultados del presente estudio sugieren fuertemente que la exposición a CO y componentes presentes en el humo de la leña, puede causar daño genotóxico a las mujeres que hacen uso de este combustible, por lo que es necesario implementar medidas que disminuyan esta exposición.(AU)

Currently, about a quarter of the Mexican population, between 25 and 28 million people, cook with firewood. However, wood smoke contains a wide range of toxic substances, including carbon monoxide (CO) whose impact on health of the rural population should be studied. Therefore, the potential DNA damage associated with the exposition to CO of 30 women who cooked with wood in Chiapas, Mexico, was assessed using Comet Assay. Results were compared with 30 controls of similarage and socioeconomic status, who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). We obtained whole blood samples to measure carboxyhemoglobin (% COHb) and perform the comet assay. There was a significant difference (P <0.001) in the percentages of COHb between women who cooked with wood (mean= 6.6%) and those who did it with LPG (mean=1.8%) being 3.6 times higher in the former compared with the latter. There was a significant difference in comet tail length between the two groups examined (mean 18.5 +/- 4.21 versus 5.97 +/- 1.0 μm, P <0.001) and tail moment (mean 4.55 +/- 1.5 versus 1.5 +/- 0.40, P <0.001). The results of this study strongly suggest that exposure to carbon monoxide and compounds present in wood smoke can cause genotoxic damage to women who use this fuel, so it is necessary to implement measures to reduce this exposure.(AU)

Environmental pathways of exposure to DDT for children living in a malarious area of Chiapas, Mexico.

Considering that DDT was used for control of malaria vectors in Mexico, and taking into account that the information regarding children in areas exposed to DDT is scarce, we started a research program for the assessment of health effects in children living in DDT sprayed areas. In this first report, we present information about pathways of exposure in two communities with a different history of exposure to DDT. Environmental pathways such as outdoor soils, indoor soils and household dust were assessed comparing a community highly exposed to DDT (HEC) and a community less exposed to DDT (LEC). Also in these communities, a cross-sectional study of 60 children (30 in each community) aged 6--12 years was conducted. Tests included a questionnaire and the measurement of whole blood DDT and DDE. Results show that in children living in the HEC, DDT and DDE mean blood levels were higher (15.9+/-8.2 and 58.2+/-29.2 microg/L) than in the LEC (1.9+/-3.6 and 9.2+/-5.7 microg/L) (P<0.01). Concentrations of DDT, DDE and DDD in indoor soil were higher in the HEC (10.3+/-10; 4.9+/-5.8; and 4.4+/-9.1mg/kg) than in the LEC (0.3+/-0.3; 0.04+/-0.06; and 0.03+/-0.04 mg/kg) (P<0.001). Similar results were obtained for outdoor soils; in the HEC, levels for DDT, DDE and DDD were 3.1+/-3.0; 1.0+/-0.8; and 0.3+/-0.2mg/kg; whereas levels in the LEC were 0.16+/-0.2; 0.02+/-0.03; and 0.02+/-0.03 mg/kg (P<0.001). High concentrations of DDT, DDE, and DDD were obtained in samples of indoor dust collected from the walls in the HEC (17.5+/-10.0; 5.5+/-6.2; and 9.8+/-16.8 mg/kg); levels in the LEC were lower (0.6+/-0.9; 0.07+/-0.1; and 0.05+/-0.07 mg/kg) (P<0.001). We did not find any correlation between blood levels of DDE and total DDT with environmental concentrations but there levels increased in LEC and HEC as the frequency of fish consumption increased (P<0.01).