Cytogenetic Studies on Groups Exposed to Pesticides in Baghdad

Abstract

Pesticides effect human cytogenetic parameters adversely. This negative effect can be monitored in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The study conducted to investigate the effect of pesticides (mixture) on some cytogenetic parameters in risk groups represented by farmers, pesticide sellers and pesticide manufacture workers (all of them were men ), each group involved 25 person in addition to control group (25 men) from Baghdad university staff. The cytogenetic parameters studied were; estimation of chromosomal aberrations (CA), induction of micronuclei (Mn) and mitotic index ( MI ). Results showed that the chromosomal aberrations spontaneous was less than 1% (Control group ), then these abnormalities increased in farmer, sellers and pesticides workers (1.48 % , 2.86 % , 3.42 % respectively ) . Mn profile was similar to CA as represented direte or indirect parameter. MI in farmers was with no significance compared to control group (1.72) (P<0.01), but it was lowred to 1.35 in sellers, and to 1.2 in workers with significant difference (P<0.01).