Sister chromatid exchange in lymphocytes of agricultural workers exposed to pesticides

Abstract

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) was studied in the lymphocytes of 27 agricultural workers occupationally exposed to several pesticides and 28 matched controls from el Maresme, an agricultural area near Barcelona. Comparison between both groups with the t-test did not reveal significant differences. These negative findings suggest that, possibly, the exposure level is too low to increase SCE in human lymphocytes in vivo. Our results indicate that smokers, both the workers and the controls, had a higher SCE frequency than non-smokers, in agreement with previous data reported by different authors.