Rubber industry workers are potentially exposed to several carinogens and to a great amount of raw materials whose toxicological profiles are usually ill-defined. Furthermore, during the various rubber manufacturing processess, hot fumes are emitted which may contain newly formed chemicals endowed of biological activity.
In a previuos study we used bacterial mutagenicity assay and chemical methods to investigate genotoxicity of air in a rubber factory. The sample showed consistent direct and indirect mutagenicity on S. typhimurium strains. The chemical analysis revealed that the contaminants consisted mainly of compounds which were formed during rubber processing operations. Date indicate that the workers of this factory are exposed to mutagenic chemical substances. In addition the alkaline comet assay revealed an increase of DNA damage in lymphocytes of expose workers
