A Lwegaba
Field trial to test and evaluate primary tobacco prevention methods in clusters of elementary schools in Barbados
The West Indian medical journal
study identified determined organochloride pesticide ocs concentrations hair samples children two elementary schools one exposed fumigations agricultural fields unexposed three concentrations ocs levels hair compared high medium low total nuclear abnormalities buccal cells determined micronuclei mni condensed chromatin karyorrhexis pyknosis binucleate cells karyolysis lobed nuclei apoptosis significant differences found presence mni schoolchildren exposed unexposed schools prevalence ocs schools 50 well frequencies mni children 58 findings show significant difference frequency mni total sample schoolchildren exposed school unexposed school relation concentration ocs detected hair children exposed school showed higher concentrations ocs hair higher levels genotoxic damage buccal cells compared children lower concentrations ocs frequent nuclear abnormalities exposed children lobed nuclei 794 binucleate cells 6666 apoptosis 6507 mni 587 determined prevalence ratio pr prevalence odds ratio por presence mni buccal cells relation ocs concentrations hair samples ratios high mni pr 393 95 confidence interval ci 197784 p 00003 por 797 95 ci 2622428 p 00003 indicating 797 times greater risk exposed children present 02 mni ocs concentrations exceed 0447 gg indicators may useful biomarkers genotoxic damage children exposed persistent highlytoxic compounds results suggest potential risk schoolchildren exposed daily basis due fumigations nearby agricultural fields