DNA damage and repair capacity in hairdressers exposed to chemical products : a pilot study : original research

Hairdressers are exposed to numerous hazardous chemical substances, some of which are known or suspected allergens, carcinogens or organic solvents. The objectives of this study were to compare DNA damage and DNA repair capacity between hairdressers with short-term exposure (STE,10 years; n = 10), a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Occupational Health Southern Africa Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 6 - 13
Main Authors: Eloff, F.C., Preston, R., Pretorius, P.J., Du Plessis, J.L., Laubscher, P.J., Van Aarde, M.N., Van der Westhuizen, F.H., Franken, A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Mettamedia (Pty) Ltd 01.11.2013
Subjects:
Comet assay
DNA damage
DNA repair capacity
Hairdressers
Short and long-term exposure
ISSN:1024-6274, 2226-6097
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Hairdressers are exposed to numerous hazardous chemical substances, some of which are known or suspected allergens, carcinogens or organic solvents. The objectives of this study were to compare DNA damage and DNA repair capacity between hairdressers with short-term exposure (STE,10 years; n = 10), and a control group (n = 11); and to demonstrate that the Comet Assay can be used in biological monitoring to measure the effect of occupational exposure to genotoxic agents in the hairdressing industry. The STE and LTE groups had significantly increased baseline DNA damage compared to the control group. Both the exposed groups also had weaker DNA repair capacity than the control group. The LTE group showed a significantly decreased antioxidant capacity, compared to the control group. Results of this study suggest that the chemicals to which hairdressers are exposed might cause harmful health effects and mutagenic changes.
ISSN:1024-6274
2226-6097
DOI:10.10520/EJC145076