Publication: Environmental impacts on children's health in southeast Asia: Genotoxic compounds in urban air
Issued Date
2006-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
17496632
00778923
00778923
Other identifier(s)
2-s2.0-33845742565
Rights
Mahidol University
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Vol.1076, (2006), 678-690
Suggested Citation
Mathuros Ruchirawat, Panida Navasumrit, Daam Settachan, Herman Autrup Environmental impacts on children's health in southeast Asia: Genotoxic compounds in urban air. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Vol.1076, (2006), 678-690. doi:10.1196/annals.1371.037 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/22927
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Authors
Journal Issue
Thesis
Title
Environmental impacts on children's health in southeast Asia: Genotoxic compounds in urban air
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Air pollution is a serious problem in many countries in Southeast Asia, particularly in major metropolises with high levels of traffic congestion generating significant amounts of genotoxic substances. The contribution of such environmental exposure to children's illnesses, such as respiratory diseases and cancer, is a public health concern. Inner-city children may have higher levels of exposure to genotoxic substances in the air than those living in rural areas. This study was conducted in Bangkok, where ambient levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzene are relatively high. Bangkok school children were exposed to total PAHs at about sixfold higher levels than those in rural areas, with levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) also being significantly higher. PAH-DNA adduct levels in lymphocytes were fivefold higher in Bangkok children. Benzene exposure in Bangkok school children was more than twofold higher than the levels measured in children from the rural areas. This is in agreement with the biomarkers of internal dose, that is, blood benzene and urinary trans, trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) levels. The potential health risks from exposure to PAHs and benzene were assessed through the use of DNA damage and DNA repair capacity as markers of early biological effect. DNA strand breaks were significantly higher in Bangkok school children, while DNA repair capacity was significantly lower. It appears that children in major cities in developing countries may have an increased health risk for the development of certain diseases, such as cancer due to exposure to genotoxic substances in their environment. © 2006 New York Academy of Sciences.