Molecular and genetic damage in humans from environmental pollution in Poland

Abstract

Extreme environmental pollution such as that found in the highly industrialized Silesian region of Poland has been associated with increased risk of cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes. Among the most prevalent carcinogenic and mutagenic air pollutants in Silesia are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which are largely produced by industrial and residential combustion of coal. Molecular epidemiology aims to prevent disease by using biological markers to identify risks well before clinical onset to allow effective intervention. Here, we use a battery of biological markers to measure molecular and genetic damage in peripheral blood samples from residents of Silesia and from persons living in a rural, less polluted area of Poland. The results show that their exposure to environmental pollution is associated with significant increases in carcinogen-DNA adducts (PAH-DNA and aromatic adducts), in sister chromatid exchange including high-frequency cells, and in chromosomal aberrations as well as a doubling in the frequency of ras oncogene overexpression. We found that aromatic adducts on DNA were significantly correlated with chromosomal mutation, providing us with a molecular link between environmental exposure and a genetic alteration relevant to cancer and reproductive risk.

Relationship between ambient air pollution and DNA damage in Polish mothers and newborns.

“…Among the current cohort, we reported an association between newborn WBC PAH-DNA adduct levels and adverse birth outcomes (20). Other studies have seen associations between WBC adduct levels and ambient PAH levels measured by areawide (1) carcinogenesis (12). CYPlAI is an inducible enzyme system that catalyzes the biotransformation of PAHs to phenolic products and epoxides (22,23 (16,(33)(34)(35) albeit not consistently (36)(37)(38).…”

“…Ambient air in certain industrialized regions of Poland is heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (1). Krakow is an industrialized city with high air pollution attributed to multiple sources, especially coal burning for industrial purposes and residential heating (2).…”

Cancer Risk Assessment, Indicators, and Guidelines for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Ambient Air

“…This method, in conjunction with thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of labeled adducts, has been used in a number of studies. It has revealed that the extent of adduct formation in human tissues most often varies by a factor of about 20, although a variation by a factor of more than 70 has been observed (Perera et al 1992). A recent study indicates that the adduct levels in humans estimated by TLC poorly reflect the true levels.…”

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for rapid and highly sensitive analysis of stereoisomers of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide–DNA adducts

“…Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants, found in automobile exhaust, forest fire, charbroiled food, tobacco smoke [1,2] and certain occupational settings [3,4], and may cause lung [5], skin [6] and bladder cancer [7]. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a representative of carcinogenic PAH.…”