Genotoxic exposure and biological effects in the rubber manufacturing industry. Relevance of the dermal route

Abstract

This thesis describes an industry wide survey on genotoxic exposure and biological effects in the rubber manifacturing industry. Chapters are devoted to long-term trends in inhalable and dermal contamination levels, identification of dermal exposure pathways and the assessment of mutagenic exposure conditions. Possible relations between external mutagenic exposure, urinary mutagenicity and DNA adducts are subsequently explored. Potential influences of skin aberrations on dermal absorption and possible effect modification by biotransormation polymorphisms on genotoxic exposure and effect markers are addressed as well. Based on the results described in this thesis it was concluded that workers in the rubber manufacturing industry in The Netherlands are currently exposed to genotoxic compounds and that the dermal exposure route is important for the uptake of these compounds.