Waste anaesthetic gases induce sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes of operating room personnel

Abstract

Genotoxicity related to waste anaesthetic gas exposure is controversial. We have investigated the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges in peripheral lymphocytes of operating room personnel exposed to trace concentrations of isoflurane and nitrous oxide. Occupational exposure was recorded using a direct reading instrument. Frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges were measured in lymphocyte cultures of 27 non-smokers working in the operating room and 27 non-smoking controls. Personnel were exposed to an 8-h time-weighted average of nitrous oxide 11.8 ppm and isoflurane 0.5 ppm. After exposure, sister chromatid exchange frequency was increased significantly (mean 9.0 (SD 1.3) vs 8.0 (1.4) in exposed and control personnel, respectively) (P < 0.05). We conclude that exposure to even trace concentrations of waste anaesthetic gases may cause genetic damage comparable with smoking 11-20 cigarettes per day.

Genotoxic effects of anesthetics in operating room personnel evaluated by micronucleus test

“…Neurotoxic [32], hepatotoxic [22], nephrotoxic [24,32] and carcinogenic effects [13,32,39], as well as fertility alterations, increased incidence of spontaneous abortions and congenital abnormalities have been observed in these professionals [3,24,41,45,46]. Nevertheless, there is still some controversy regarding the genotoxic and/or mutagenic effects of acute or chronic exposure to anesthetic gases [14,25,27], even though significant increases in the frequency of chromosome aberrations and of micronuclei (MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes of professionals exposed to such agents have been reported [8,11,12,29,31,35,42,44].…”

Sevoflurane in Exhaled Air of Operating Room Personnel

“…S everal studies on occupational exposure to trace anesthetic gases have been conducted. Evidence concerning the effects of volatile anesthetics on human reproduction and chromosomal integrity is inconclusive (1)(2)(3). Furthermore, inhalation of volatile anesthetics has been implicated in peripheral lymphocyte apoptosis and may thus, in principle, contribute to perioperative leukopenia (4).…”

A follow-up study on occupational exposure to inhaled anaesthetics in Eastern European surgeons and circulating nurses

“…Surgeons and circulating nurses in Eastern European hospitals are especially prone to high exposure levels because the safety standards regarding the removal of waste anaesthetic gases do not compare to that in Western Europe. For example, studies at a German university hospital revealed that the trace concentrations of nitrous oxide and the volatile anaesthetics iso¯urane, sevo¯urane and des¯urane were low and did not even exceed the strict limits recommended by the NIOSH [7,10]. In contrast, the values measured for the surgeons and the circulating nurses at the Eastern European university hospital in 1996 were many times higher (Tables 3 and 4).…”