Inhalation of fuel causes damage to DNA and its repair processes, according to a study carried out by researchers from the University of La Coruña. The test has been carried out with laboratory rats but, according to its authors, it could be extrapolated to the people who participated in the cleaning work after the spillage of thePrestige.
Ten years after the oil spill ofPrestige, the extent of the spill’s damage to the environment and people is still not fully known. Thousands of volunteers participated in the cleaning andwere exposed to a mixture of harmful substances. Studying its consequences directly on these people is complicated, since they cannot be separated from the effects of other environmental factors.
For this reason, the researchers designed an experiment with two strains of rats isolated in the laboratory and exposed to a fuel with a composition similar to that of the spill.Prestige. The results, which are published in the journal Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, revealed a direct relationship between inhalation exposure to compounds released by fuel and damage to genetic material. In addition, alterations were also found in DNA repair processes.
The authors insist on the health risk posed by exposure to these agents. “This includes both the performance of occupational activities – extraction wells, refineries, gas stations, etc. – as well as cleaning tasks after accidental oil spills,” Vanessa Valdiglesias, one of the authors, explained to SINC.
