Residents of Industrial Regions: Long Term Dynamics of Spontaneous Mutagenesis

Abstract

The studies shows results of the 10-years research related to the frequency of chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of North Ossetia inhabitants. The study of cytogenetic indexes in the blood of healthy individuals showed an increase in the average frequency of chromosome aberrations as time passed. The long-term cytogenetic study of North Ossetia residents’ blood showed the growth of medium frequency of aberrant metaphases from 2.07 ± 0.37 to 3.04 ± 0.16 in the group of adults and from 0.5 ± 0.25 to 1.9 ± 0.2 in the groups of children. The most significant increase among all studied cytogenetic indexes in groups of North Ossetia adults and children was in 2009 due to accidental release at one of the metallurgical enterprises in the capital city. All studied groups were characterized by prevailed acentric fragments among chromosome disorders, with an increase of all types of aberrations as time passed. There was a growth in the proportion of chromosome aberrations (adults had an increase of double fragments from 0.20 ± 0.11 to 0.60 ± 0.15 and chromosome exchanges from 0.27 ± 0.15 to 0.64 ± 0.13, children: from 0.13 ± 0.13 to 0.26 ± 0.12 and from 0 to 0.26 ± 0.20 respectively). Sex and smoking factors had no significant effect on the studied samples during the observation period. The 10-year (2002-2011) dynamics analysis of cytogenetic disorders has shown an intensification of mutagenic effects on residents of the republic, which were the most severe after accidental releases in 2009. The results of cytogenetic studies suggest that a mutagenic impact of chemical and radioactive nature takes place.