Open AccessASSESSMENT OF MICRONUCLEUS FREQUENCY AND RESPIRATORY HEALTH SYMPTOMS AMONG TRAFFIC POLICEMEN EXPOSED TO BTEX AND PM2.5 IN KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA
Author(s) -
Mohd Fairus Awang,
Juliana Jalaludin,
Suhaili Abu Bakar,
Mohd Talib Latif,
Noor Fatihah Mohamad Fandi,
Haris Hafizal Abd Hamid
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
jurnal teknologi/jurnal teknologi
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.191
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2180-3722
pISSN - 0127-9696
DOI - 10.11113/jt.v82.14493
Subject(s) - btex , environmental health , occupational exposure , air pollution , air pollutants , xylene , benzene , toxicology , medicine , environmental chemistry , chemistry , biology , organic chemistry
Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), and particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) are often associated with traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and harm the health of the community. This study aimed to evaluate the personal air pollutant exposure, micronucleus (MN) frequency, and respiratory health symptoms among 160 traffic policemen and 149 office workers in Klang Valley. Personal exposure concentrations for BTEX and PM2.5 among traffic police were 390.12 μg/m3 and 140.00 μg/m3 respectively, whereas 97.64 μg/m3 (BTEX) and 23.00 µg/m3 (PM2.5) among office workers. Statistical analysis for MN frequency between traffic policemen (6.2±2.6) and office workers (3.0±2.0) shows a significant difference (p < 0.001). The Chi-Square test for respiratory health symptoms indicates that only cough shows the significant differences between traffic policemen and office workers (χ2 = 5.645, p = 0.018, PR = 1.800). In short, this study showed that TRAP exposure would increase the chromosomal damage that can cause high MN frequency among traffic policemen and would increase the prevalence of respiratory health symptoms among urban workers.