Cateura landfill located in Asunción-Paraguay is the site of final disposal of tons of garbage of all kinds coming from urban, industrial and commercial areas. Due to an inadequate waste management system, there is a big concern in our country on how it can affect people working within the landfill as waste pickers. When a high risk of exposure affecting workers in their work places is supposed, defining biomarkers of genotoxic damage is obligatory. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic damage in occupationally exposed women in their work environments through two established biomarkers: the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay (SCGE) accomplished in peripheral blood and the micronucleus test performed in exfoliated cells from oral mucosa (BMCyT). This is an analytical observational cohort study involving 50 women occupationally exposed and 34 unexposed women. A statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in the parameters to measure genotoxicity was observed in the garbage recyclers of the landfill, compared to the control group. The frequency of Micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities such as karyolytic and karyorrhectic cells were higher in exposed women. In addition, significant differences in the % of DNA in the tail of comets between exposed and control groups were found. Our results suggest that the increase in DNA damage and nuclear alterations found in exposed-waste pickers women can be explained as a result to their direct contact with chemicals, many of them identified as genotoxic and other alleged mutagens. This chronic exposure could be diminished by using safety procedures and suitable personal protective equipment inside the workplace. The burden of morbidity due to occupational exposure to genotoxic agents in this place is unknown, therefore, these types of studies should be addressed in order to advice to authorities on social policies of protection of landfills workers.

中文翻译：

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通过彗星试验和微核试验测量，巴拉圭垃圾填埋场的拾荒者妇女中发现的遗传损害增加。

位于巴拉圭亚松森的Cateura垃圾填埋场是最终处置来自城市，工业和商业区的各种垃圾的场所。由于废物管理系统的不完善，我们国家对它如何影响垃圾填埋场中的垃圾收集者产生了极大的关注。如果认为暴露在高风险中会影响其工作场所的工人，则必须定义遗传毒性损害的生物标志物。这项研究的主要目的是通过两个已建立的生物标记物评估职业暴露妇女在工作环境中的遗传损伤：在外周血中完成的单细胞凝胶电泳分析（SCGE）和在口腔黏膜中脱落的细胞中进行的微核试验（BMCyT）。这是一项分析性观察队列研究，涉及50名职业暴露的妇女和34名未暴露的妇女。与对照组相比，在垃圾填埋场的垃圾回收站中，用于测量遗传毒性的参数在统计学上有显着增加（p <0.05）。在暴露的女性中，微核（MN）和其他核异常（如溶核细胞和溶核细胞）的频率较高。此外，在暴露组和对照组之间，发现彗星尾巴中DNA的百分比存在显着差异。我们的结果表明，暴露于废物的采摘妇女发现的DNA损伤和核变异增加，可以解释为她们直接接触化学物质的结果，其中许多化学物质被鉴定为具有遗传毒性和其他所谓的诱变剂。可通过在工作场所内使用安全程序和适当的个人防护设备来减少这种长期暴露。由于在这个地方由于职业性暴露于遗传毒性剂而导致的发病负担尚不明确，因此，应对这类研究进行研究，以便就保护填埋场工人的社会政策向当局提供建议。