Micronuclei assay in exfoliated buccal cells from individuals exposed to arsenic in Argentina.

Drinking arsenic (As)-laden water for a long time affects a population's health and leads to chronic hydroarsenicism, which is associated with an increased incidence of different types of cancer. To determine the potential genotoxic risk associated with different degrees of environmental exposure to inorganic As by way of drinking water, micronuclei (MN) frequency in exfoliated buccal cells was evaluated in Argentina among rural populations of Santiago del Estero and urban populations of Buenos Aires. The exposed group in Santiago del Estero (La Firmeza and Santos Lugares localities) showed a significant increase in MN frequency in epithelial cells compared with controls (Monte Quemado and Urutau localities) (p = 0.