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 = 0.0005). With regard to the Buenos Aires groups, Navarro individuals (the exposed group) exhibited a significant difference compared with controls (Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires) (p = 0.0002). Comparison of MN frequencies between Santiago del Estero and Buenos Aires individuals showed that genotoxic effects of As in drinking water exhibit variation between rural and urban groups, probably due to individual susceptibility being an important incidence factor. The results clearly show that MN assay in buccal mucosa cells is an ideal methodology with which to measure potential genetic risk related to environmental As exposure in humans.