Chromosomal Damage Risk Assessment to Benzene Exposure among Gasoline Station Workers in Bangkok Metropolitan, Thailand

Abstract

This study was a cross-sectional survey study to assess relative risk (RR) of chromosomal damage through benzene exposure in 45 gasoline stations workers compared to 30 controls in central area of Bangkok. Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) is as genotoxic biomarker, performed in white blood cells, and blood benzene level (BBL) is a biological marker of benzene exposure was performed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) using modified headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) technique. The results showed that the average blood benzene level of these workers was significantly higher than in the controls (p < 0.001) as well as the frequency of sister chromatid exchange. The sister chromatid exchange was strongly and positively associated with blood benzene level of gasoline workers (p < 0.001) with the chromosomal damage relative risk at 2.50 (p < 0.001). Keywords: gasoline worker, benzene, sister chromatid exchange, chromosomal damag