Effects of chronic exposure to Formaldehyde on micronucleus rate of bone marrow cells in male mice.

ABSTRACT

Formaldehyde (FA) is the major volatile organic chemical (VOC) present in indoor air, and a constituent known to be associated with sick building syndrome. In the present study, mice were exposed to different concentrations of FA (0, 1, 10 mg/ m3) through static inhalation for 2 hours per day for 20 weeks. The polychromatic erythrocytes/ normochromatic erythrocyte (PCE/NCE) ratio and the micronucleus rates in bone marrow cells were detected. Data indicated that the PCE/NCE ratio in two FA exposure groups were statistically significant lower than the negative control group (P <0.05), and the micronucleus rate in two FA exposure groups were not significantly higher than the control group (P>0.05). These results suggest that chronic static inhalation of FA can reduce the ratio of PCE/NCE in the mice bone marrow, but the effects to the mice bone micronucleus rate are not sure.