Genetics and Molecular Biology, 30, 2, 456-460 (2007)
Copyright by the Brazilian Society of Genetics. Printed in Brazil
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Send correspondence to César Paz-y-Miño. Laboratorio de Genética Molecular y Citogenética Humana, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, P.O. Box 17-01-2184 Quito, Ecuador. E-mail: cpazymino@puce.edu.ec
Evaluation of DNA damage in an Ecuadorian population exposed to glyphosate
César Paz-y-Miño1,2, María Eugenia Sánchez1,2, Melissa Arévalo1, María José Muñoz1, Tania Witte1, Gabriela Oleas De-la-Carrera1 and Paola E. Leone 1,2
1Laboratorio de Genética Molecular y Citogenética Humana, Escuela de Biología,
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
2Unidad de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
Abstract
We analyzed the consequences of aerial spraying with glyphosate added to a surfactant solution in the northern part of Ecuador. A total of 24 exposed and 21 unexposed control individuals were investigated using the comet assay. The results showed a higher degree of DNA damage in the exposed group (comet length = 35.5 μm) compared to the control group (comet length = 25.94 μm). These results suggest that in the formulation used during aerial spraying glyphosate had a genotoxic effect on the exposed individuals.
Key words: comet assay, DNA damage, Ecuador, genotoxicity, glyphosate.
Received: May 24, 2006; Accepted: November 7, 2006.
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