Influence of the composition of atmospheric air pollution on genotoxic effects in the buccal epithelial cells in children

Introduction. This publication presents the third fragment of a comprehensive multi-parameter pilot study to create a methodology for assessing the open-air odor’ impact on human’s adaptive potential. The pilot study was carried out in the little town (50 thousands of inhabitants), mainly the food industry and agro-industrial complex work, but enterprises of 1–2 classes of danger are absent. Air emissions from operating enterprises have a specific odor that causes complaints of inhabitants.

Materials and methods. The effects of genome instability (EGI) in children attending kindergartens located at a distance of 1.7–5.9 km from enterprises — the primary sources of odor — were assessed. EGI was determined non-invasively using a micronucleus test on exfoliating cheek epithelial cells. The epitheliocytes from 112 children of 5–7 years old were examined simultaneously with a collection of atmospheric air samples from the walking areas of the kindergartens which the examined children attended. These atmospheric air samples were taken for gas chromatography-mass spectrometric determination of their chemical composition.

Results. Seventy-eight chemical compounds belonging to different classes of chemicals were identified in the air samples. The groups of children from different kindergartens did not differ statistically in any of the 13 assessed indicators of the cytome analysis of the buccal mucosa epithelium cells, and the levels of genotoxic and toxic effects did not go beyond the average expected values presented in literature and our studies for differents groups of comparison. High-level and statistically significant direct correlations between the total content of air pollutants with proven genotoxic activity and the two main indicators of the micronucleus test on cheek epithelial cells: the frequencies of cells with micronuclei and cells with accepted apoptotic bodies were revealed. No correlation was found between summarized levels of the detected chemicals limited concentrations and the results of cytome analysis of children’s buccal epithelial cells. 

Limitations. correct formation of groups for examination, the severity of the criteria for cytotome analysis and identity of cytogenetic effects identification in the course of cytotome analysis by different researchers.

Conclusion. The effects of genome instability in the buccal epithelial cells in children were shown to be mainly associated with the presence of substances with proven mutagenic, carcinogenic and neogenic activities, but not with the total excess of hygienic standards for the content of chemical compounds in the air.

Contribution:

Yurchenko V.V. — analysis of literature, children’s epithelial cells sampling and preparing them for cytome analysis, statistical analysis and description of the results of cytome analysis.

Ingel F.I. — concept and design of the study, analysis and interpretation of literature data, statistical analysis of the obtained data, text writing.

Malysheva A.G. — program and the choice of methods of chemical studies.

Akhaltseva L.V. — cytome analysis, manuscript editing and preparing for publication.

Krivtsova E.K., Yurtseva N.A., Nikitina T.A., Ivanova S.М. — cytome analysis.

Shishkin D.I. — chemical analysis of the air samples.

Budarina O.V. — organization of the study, odor dispersion calculation.

All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement. The work was carried out within the framework of the state task “Analysis of changes in the adaptation of the population living in the areas where located enterprises are sources of odor, in order to develop recommendations for health authorities on managing the risk of environmentally caused diseases” by Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russian Federation.

Received: July 28, 2021 / Accepted: November 25, 2021 / Published: March 10, 2022