Sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and structural chromosome aberrations were analyzed in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 100 individuals, and correlated to age and sex. No correlation was found between the frequency of SCE and age, but older individuals had significantly more structural aberrations than younger. Females had significantly more SCE as well as structural chromosome aberrations than males. The positive correlations of SCE and structural aberrations to age and sex were also significant when these factors, as well as smoking habits, were taken into consideration in an analysis of covariance.

Increased frequency of chromosome aberrations in workers exposed to styrene. Scand. j. work environ. & health 5 (1979) 333-335. Chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes from peripheral blood were significantly more frequent in six workers from a plant manufacturing polyester resin boats (average 10.8 per 100 cells) than in six age-and sex-matched referents (5.2 per 100 cells). The contamination of the workroom air with styrene, as measured on three occasions within three years in different areas of the plant, was 50-400 mg/m 3 .

Twenty‐eight individuals occupationally exposed to ethylene oxide have been compared with 20 controls regarding cytogenetic effects in peripheral blood lymphocytes and in bone marrow cells. The exposure levels of ethylene oxide were estimated and none of the individuals had, during the last 2.5 years, been exposed to workroom air concentrations exceeding 1 ppm. The exposed persons showed significantly increased levels of chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes (about 50% increase of mean) and of micronuclei in erythroblasts and polychromatic erythrocytes (about 100% and 300% increase of mean, respectively) when compared with controls. However, sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in lymphocytes did not show any significant effect of exposure. A significant effect of smoking on micronuclei in erythroblasts and lymphocytes was found. There were several statistically significant, positive correlation coefficients among the different cytogenetic parameters.

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Sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and structural chromosome aberrations were analyzed in peripheral blood lymphocytes and correlated to smoking habits of 91 individuals. There was no difference between smokers and nonsmokers, neither as regards the frequency of SCE, nor for the frequency of structural chromosome aberrations in the total material. In a subgroup exposed to epoxy resins, though, a significantly elevated number of SCE among the smokers was noted. Conversely, smoking did not have any effect as regards SCE among individuals exposed to ethylene oxide-the exposure group with the highest level of SCE. Thus, although there may be an association between smoking habits and the SCE rate in certain populations, this is apparently not a general phenomenon.