Micronucleus frequencies in peripheral blood lymphocytes in a Serbian human population exposed to pesticides

Micronucleus (MN) is a biomarker widely used in biomonitoring studies for determining\udthe genetic risk associated with exposure to pesticides. The purpose of this study was to\udassess damage to the genetic material of workers occupationally exposed to pesticides as\uddetected in micronucleus tests. The research included 119 subjects divided into three groups:\uda control group of 39 subjects, a group of 40 subjects exposed to pesticides as producers\udand a group of 40 pesticide applicators in the field. A Mann-Whitney U-test displayed\udstatistically significant differences between the parameter means of all variables, and the\udcontrol group. Significant differences were observed between males involved in pesticide\udproduction and application for the parameter MN4, then between non-smoking producers\udand applicators regarding parameters MN2, MN3, MN4 and NB, as well as between the\udcontrol and applicator groups for parameter MN2, and between producers and applicators\udfor parameter MN3. Spearman’s correlation test showed a positive correlation between\udthe frequency of micronuclei and age of respondents, as well as their smoking habits.\udA statistically significant difference in relation to cytogenetic parameters was detected\udbetween the respondents working in pesticide production and those working in the field.\udThe results suggest that applicators in the field do not use adequate personal protective\udequipment. Regular biological monitoring of workers exposed to pesticides is required