Congested Roadways may Damage DNA
March 25, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Spending too much time sitting in traffic could be having an ill effect on your DNA.
That’s the major finding from a new study out of Taiwan that measured markers of DNA damage in toll booth workers compared to office workers. To test the effects of exposure, researchers measured 8-OHdG in the urine. They explain this is a marker of oxidative DNA damage.
The study was conducted among 47 female toll booth workers who were stationed along the busiest motorway in the country. Twenty-seven female office workers were also tested. Results show the toll booth workers had about 90-percent higher levels of 8-OHdG than the office workers. The finding held true even after researchers adjusted the results to take smoking history (which can also affect 8-OHdG levels) into account.
Toll booth workers also had about 30-percent higher levels of another indicator of oxidative DNA damage, nitric oxide.
The authors note previous epidemiological studies have linked exposure to particulate matter in the atmosphere to increased risk of morbidity and mortality. They believe the current study adds to the evidence and strengthens the case for measures leading to cleaner air. They write, “Current levels of occupational exposure to traffic exhausts from motor vehicles should be reduced.”
SOURCE: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2005;62:216-222
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