32P-postlabelling analysis of DNA adducts in white blood cells of humans exposed to residential wood combustion particulate matter.

ABSTRACT

Residential wood combustion (RWC) in open fireplaces poses a possible health risk because of the emission into the indoor air of mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds. In the present report it was investigated whether this emission leads to enhanced levels of DNA adducts in white blood cells (WBC) of exposed subjects. Under conditions that most likely reflect the Dutch pattern of use of open fireplaces, RWC increased both indoor air mutagenicity and levels of benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) and pyrene. The indirect mutagenicity showed a stronger increase than the direct mutagenicity. The increase in indirect mutagenicity was not directly correlated with the increase in the levels of B(a)P and pyrene. 32P-postlabelling analysis of DNA adducts following nuclease P1 enrichment or butanol extraction revealed low adduct levels. No combustion-related increase in the amount of adducts was observed. Possible explanations for the lack of correlation between air monitoring data and WBC DNA adduct levels are discussed.