Genetic damage of operating and recovery room personnel occupationally exposed to waste anaesthetic gases

Abstract

<jats:p> Occupational exposure to the waste anaesthetic gases (WAGs) is a crucial problem for healthcare personnel. Cancer is among the potential long-term adverse effects of WAGs. The present occupational molecular epidemiology study was conducted in healthcare personnel (anaesthetists, nurses and technicians; n = 46), working in operating rooms (ORs; n = 34) and recovery units (RUs; n = 12) of the same hospital, to assess the genotoxicity risk of WAGs exposure. Twenty-one healthy available hospital staff allocated to other wards, without the history of working in ORs and RUs were the control group. A micronucleus test was carried out for peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and buccal epithelial cells (BECs). Exposure to the anaesthetics was assessed with sevoflurane concentrations and inorganic fluoride levels in post-shift urine samples of the healthcare staff. As an exposure marker, sevoflurane concentrations in ORs and RUs were measured using passive samplers. The micronuclei frequencies were increased in both PBLs (approximately two times) and BECs (approximately three times) of the healthcare personnel. Urinary sevoflurane concentrations exceeded the biological equivalent level in 23 personnel. Air sevoflurane levels in the breathing zone in three ORs and one RU did not exceed the established occupational exposure limits. Both in surrogate tissue (PBLs) and in target tissue (BECs) of the personnel of RUs and ORs of the same hospital, the genotoxicity risk was evident and similar. Originality of this study, in addition to the WAGs exposure confirmation of the healthcare personnel, was the involvement of the RU personnel for the genotoxicity assessment, which was the first time in the scientific literature. </jats:p>

Genetic instability assessed by telomere length and micronucleus in physicians exposed to anesthetics

“…It would be interesting and informative to have the results of MN assay in lymphocytes and to correlate them with TL; however, it has already been pointed out a linear correlation between micronucleated cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes and buccal exfoliated cells (Ceppi et al ., 2010). Indeed, a study showed increase of micronucleated cells performed in both lymphocytes and in buccal cells of healthcare personnel (operating rooms and post‐anesthesia care units) occupationally exposed to the following anesthetics: the halogenated sevoflurane and desflurane, and also nitrous oxide (Çakmak et al ., 2019). However, the authors found no significant correlation between lymphocytes and buccal exfoliated cell MN frequencies and no influence of the parameters smoking status, age, sex, and duration of exposure when the professionals were grouped according to lymphocyte or buccal MN frequencies.…”

“…The buccal MN assay, a cost‐effective minimally invasive method, is a cytogenetic method for measuring genetic damage in buccal exfoliated cells. Only a few studies have evaluated buccal MN frequency in workers exposed to anesthetics (Chandrasekhar et al ., 2006; Souza et al ., 2016; Braz et al ., 2018; Çakmak et al ., 2019; Braz et al ., 2020).…”

General anesthesia, germ cells and the missing heritability of autism: an urgent need for research

“…peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) [ 56 , 59–64 ] although those risks seem to be agent and dose/duration dependent [ 56 , 65 ]. GA waste gases are even seen to induce DNA damage in operating room personnel, with chronic exposure inducing cumulative genotoxic effects [ 66 , 67 ].…”

Association between genotoxic properties of inhalation anesthetics and oxidative stress biomarkers

“…Concern has been raised regarding the health effects of exposure to these chemicals, particularly, their genotoxicity and their potential to induce oxidative stress (OS) (Sardas et al, 2006). The genotoxicity of IAs has been the subject of debate and controversy within the scientific community (Ç akmak et al, 2018;Chandrasekhar et al, 2006;Santovito et al, 2015;Souza et al, 2016). While some studies have failed to find such an effect for IAs (Bozkurt et al, 2002;Hobbhahn et al, 1998;Hoerauf et al, 1999;Husum et al, 1983;Pasquini et al, 2001;Szyfter et al, 2016;Wiesner et al, 2001Wiesner et al, , 2008, others have shown that long-term exposure to IAs can induce DNA damage (Aldrieny et al, 2013;Braz et al, 2018;Ç akmak et al, 2018;Chandrasekhar et al, 2006;De Araujo et al, 2013;El-Ebiary et al, 2013;Paes et al, 2014;Santovito et al, 2015;Souza et al, 2016).…”