Micronucleus Frequency in Exfoliated Buccal Cells of Children Living in an Industrialized Area of Apulia (Italy)

Abstract

Micronuclei (MN) are biomarkers of early biological effect often used for detecting DNA damage in human population exposed to genotoxic agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of MN in exfoliated buccal cells of children living in an industrialized (impacted) area compared with that found in children living in a control area without significant anthropogenic impacts. A total of 462 6–8-year-old children (206 in the impacted area, 256 in the control area) attending primary school were enrolled. A questionnaire was administered to the parents of the recruited children to obtain information about personal data, lifestyles, and food habits of their children. Atmospheric particulate fractions were collected near the involved schools to assess the level of environmental exposure of the children. The presence of MN was highlighted in 68.4% of children living in the impacted area with a mean MN frequency of 0.66‰ ± 0.61‰. MN positivity and frequency were significantly lower in the control area (37.1% and 0.27‰ ± 0.43‰, respectively). The frequency of MN was positively associated with quasi-ultrafine particulate matter (PM0.5), traffic near the home, and consuming barbecued food; while adherence to the Mediterranean diet and practicing sport were negatively associated.

Winter Air Pollution and Genotoxic Effects in Children Living in a Highly Polluted Urban Area

“…Conversely, this study design did not allow to compare the MN and comet test results at high and low air pollutants levels. Various studies found a positive association between air pollution and DNA damage tests at lower levels of air pollutants than that found in our study [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. However, other studies provided negative or inconsistent results regarding the association between MN frequency in children's cells and air pollutant exposure, highlighting the role of other behavioural factors in the MN occurrence [47,52,53].…”

“…A previous study conducted on preschool children (3-6 years old) living in the same town [39] during two consecutive winters, also found a high mean MN frequency in children's buccal mucosa cells, similarly to that found in present study. Other studies evaluated the frequency of MN in exfoliated buccal cells in children [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] and found a significant association between MN frequencies and various air pollutants in children exposed to air pollution.…”

Intervention Effects of the Health Promotion Programme “Join the Healthy Boat” on Objectively Assessed Sedentary Time in Primary School Children in Germany

“…There is ample evidence that regular and sufficient physical activity, as well as low levels of sedentary behaviour, are important for growth and health in school-aged children and youth [1][2][3], and contribute to the avoidance or limitation of risk of many conditions for chronic or degenerative diseases, which can occur even into adulthood [4,5]. Insufficient physical activity and too much sedentary time, on the other hand, have been associated with poor physical and mental health [6][7][8].…”

Early-Life Exposure to Environmental Air Pollution and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Available Evidence

“…In this way, it would be possible to identify people who actually suffered damages caused by airborne chemicals and this data could be correlated with the risk of ASD. For example, micronuclei could be considered, as they are biomarkers of early biological effect which can detect the presence of initial (and reversible) alterations in the chromosomal structure and oxidative damage to DNA caused by air pollution exposure [55,56].…”