Genotoxicity and oxidative stress in chromium-exposed tannery workers in North India

Abstract

Trivalent chromium (Cr) is an environmental contaminant, which is extensively used in tanning industries throughout the world and causes various forms of health hazards in tannery workers. Therefore, a cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate the DNA damage and oxidative stress condition in tannery workers exposed to Cr in North India. The study population comprised 100 male tanners in the exposed group and 100 healthy males (no history of Cr exposure) in the comparable control group. Baseline characteristics including age, smoking, alcohol consumption habits and duration of exposure were recorded via interviewing the subjects. Blood Cr level (measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry), DNA damage (measured by comet assay) and oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were estimated in both the groups. As a result of statistical analysis, exposed group showed significantly higher level of Cr (p < 0.0001), DNA damage (p < 0.0001), MDA (p < 0.0001), SOD (p < 0.05) and lower level of GSH (p < 0.001) when compared with controls. Smoking, alcohol consumption habits and age had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on DNA damage and oxidative stress parameters in both the groups. In simple and multiple correlation analysis, DNA damage and oxidative stress parameters showed significant correlation with Cr level and duration of exposure in exposed group. The findings of the present study revealed that chronic occupational exposure to trivalent Cr may cause DNA damage and oxidative stress in tannery workers.

Cytogenetic evaluation of tannery workers in the city of Teresina, northeastern Brazil

“…However, studies of tannery workers in various countries have found significant differences between the number of CAs in exposed individuals compared to unexposed controls (Hilali et al, 2008;Monteiro Neto et al, 2010). Other reports of alterations to genetic material, such as an increase in DNA lesions, have confirmed these results (Balachandar et al, 2010;Ambreen et al, 2014). In our study, dicentric, tricentric, and ring-shaped chromosomes were the most frequently observed aberrations (Figure 2).…”

“…The formation of DNA adducts creates instability in the replication fork, leading to chromosomal breaks (Kirsch-Volders et al, 2014). Moreover, several studies in which chromium levels have been measured in tannery workers have found large amounts in biological samples (Randall and Gibson, 1989;Stupar et al, 1999;Medeiros et al, 2003;Ambreen et al, 2014).…”

Effects of chronic exposure to hexavalent chromium in water on oxidative stress parameters in Wistar rats

“…The workers are exposed mainly through inhalation of Cr (VI) (Stout et al, 2009). Different studies accomplished with tanneries, cement, and chrome-plating workers had related the exposure of Cr (VI) to various skin and lung diseases as well as alterations in oxidative stress parameters (Caglieri et al, 2006;Ambreen, Khan, Bhadauria, & Kumar, 2014;Elhosary, Maklad, Soliman, El-Ashmawy, & Oreby, 2014).…”

Heavy metals as environmental risk factors for cardiovascular diseases: from the perspective of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system and oxidative stress

“…©2019 Reviews in Agricultural Science vulnerable to several health problems along with DNA damage (Rastogi et al, 2008;Ambreen et al, 2014;Ali et al, 2015). We reported that individuals who are exposed to occupational health hazards are under oxidative stress.…”