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Assessment of Genetic Damage in Coal Miners of Punjab, Pakistan

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Abstract

Coal miners are continuously exposed to coal mine dust and airborne particulate that act as a potential risk to their health. The present study evaluates the DNA damage in coal miners using the Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMCyt) assay. The samples of the blood and buccal epithelial cells of 40 coal miners and 20 control subjects were taken from coal mines of Pail and Padhrar, Pakistan, to establish buccal anomaly frequencies of metal levels in the blood. Besides this, work history and duration hours were also analyzed. Results revealed that micronucleus frequencies positively correlated with the metal concentrations in the miner’s blood. The change in the extent of nuclear damage per unit change in the year was 0.170 for micronuclei; however, with addition in each year of working experience, nuclear buds and broken egged nuclei increased by 0.316 and 0.194 units, where each year increases karyolysis by 0.349 units and karyorrhexis by 0.308 units, respectively. An increase in work hours and working years was positively correlated with cytogenetic damage. Nuclear damage in coal miners due to occupational exposure is obvious and increases with increasing work experience. Hence, the Buccal Micronucleus Cytome assay has proved to be an effective cytogenetic biomonitoring tool for assessing genetic and nuclear damage in coal miners.

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Data Availability

During the present study, all the generated datasets and analyzed data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Code Availability

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, 40100, Pakistan

    Fariha Idrees, Aima Iram Batool, Syed Sikandar Habib & Aksa Akram

  2. Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, 40100, Pakistan

    Muhammad Fayyaz ur Rehman

Authors
  1. Fariha Idrees
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  2. Aima Iram Batool
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  3. Muhammad Fayyaz ur Rehman
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  4. Syed Sikandar Habib
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  5. Aksa Akram
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Contributions

Fariha Idrees performed the experiment and drafted the manuscript. Aima Iram Batool and Muhammad Fayyaz Ur Rehman assisted in the data analysis and edited the manuscript. Syed Sikandar Habib and Aqsa Akram assisted in the experimental design and edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Fariha Idrees.

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The study was approved by the Advanced Research Board of the University of Sargodha, and the study subjects were informed through written consent about this study and associative objectives to have a fair and productive outcome.

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Idrees, F., Batool, A.I., Rehman, M.F.u. et al. Assessment of Genetic Damage in Coal Miners of Punjab, Pakistan. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 3144–3151 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03412-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03412-2

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