Genotoxic risk in occupational exposure to petrol and its amelioration by vitamin C and vitamin E.

Petrol contains mixture of mutagens and carcinogens which have potential health risk after prolonged occupational exposure. We have compared genotoxicity and its amelioration in blood samples from 70 petrol pump attendants, working in congested area of the Ahmedabad city, India and similar number ( = 70) of Control samples from office workers dwelling in less polluted areas of the city. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay showed highly significant frequencies of micronucleus in Exposed than in the Controls.