Genotoxic effects of Israeli industrial pollutants on residents of Bruqeen village (Salfit district, Palestine)

Abstract

Many industrial byproducts are genotoxic agents that induce cytogenetic changes and DNA damage. Bruqeen, a Palestinian village in Salfit district in the northern West bank, is subject to industrial waste products coming from Barqan Israeli industrial settlement. We evaluated the extent of chromosomal breaks (Csb) and DNA damage induced to human cells using whole blood samples from both test and control sites. Csb were assessed by routine cytogenetic methods and DNA damage was assessed via the Comet assay which is also called single cell gel electrophoresis. Cytogenetic analysis for Bruqeen residents’ sample (n = 30) showed 133 Premature centromere separation (PCS), 43 Csb, 40 chromatid breaks (Ctb) and 26 dicentrics. In total, the findings showed an average of 4.08% chromosomal aberrations (CA) and 3.81% cells with CA. The results of controls (from Bethlehem area n = 8) showed 21 PCS, 2 Csb, 5 Ctb and 2 dicentric, and in total the average showed 1.97 CA and 1.91% cells with CA. Statistical analysis showed that there were no significant differences between exposed and control subjects for PCS, Ctb and Dicentric (p-value > 0.05), but there was a statistically significant difference for CA frequency for cells that have CA and Csb (p-value < 0.05). Comet assay data on the 25 Bruqeen residents showed that there was a significant difference from those of the control samples (p-value < 0.05).