Genotoxic damage evaluation in agricultural workers by exposure to pesticides in Vicente Guerrero-Tlaxcala, Mexico

Pesticides are one of the main inputs in agricultural activities; however, their exposure has been linked to the generation of various health effects. Today, many studies show the ability of pesticides to induce genotoxic damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of genotoxic damage of agricultural workers from Vicente Guerrero-Tlaxcala community, Mexico, exposed to pesticides. The study was composed by 50 agricultural workers from the Vicente Guerrero community and 16 non-exposed individuals. To assess genotoxic damage, the micronucleus (MN) test was applied to exfoliated buccal cell samples by analyzing their frequency and that of other nuclear abnormalities. The agricultural workers showed a frequency of micronucleated cells (P<0,05) and nuclear outbreaks (P