Micronucleus, Nucleoplasmic Bridge, and Nuclear Budding in Peripheral Blood Cells of Workers Exposed to Low Level Benzene

Benzene is one of the important occupational pollutants. There are some reports about the leukemogenic effects related to low-level exposure to benzene.
To study the frequency of micronucleus (MN), nucleoplasmic bridge (NB), and nuclear budding (NBUD) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of petrochemical workers with low level exposure to benzene.
We enrolled 50 workers exposed to low-level benzene and 31 unexposed workers of a petrochemical industry. After exclusion of 3 samples, peripheral blood lymphocytes of the remaining 47 exposed and 31 unexposed workers were analyzed for the frequency of MN, NB, and NBUD by cytochalasin-blocked MN technique.
MN was present in 28 (60%) exposed and 18 (58%) unexposed workers. NB was observed in 6 (13%), and 2 (7%) exposed and unexposed workers, respectively; the frequency for NBUD was 20 (43%), and 13 (42%), respectively. No significant difference was found in the observed frequencies of MN, NB, and NBUD in the peripheral blood lymphocytes between the exposed and unexposed group workers.
Occupational exposure to low-level benzene does not increase the frequency of MN, NB, and NBUD in the peripheral blood lymphocytes, biomarkers for DNA damage.