Pollutant effects on genotoxic parameters and tumor-associated protein levels in adults: a cross sectional study

Table 3 Effect-biomarkers for different main study areas: crude values.

Main area		PSA (ng/mL) p = 0.23	CEA (ng/mL) p = 0.014	p53 (pg/mL) p = 0.33	Micronuclei (number per 1000 binucleated cells) p = 0.15	DNA-strand breaks (comet assay, %DNA) p = 0.00015	Oxidative DNA damage (HDG μg/g crt) p = 0.05
Antwerp	median	1.17	1.91(H)*	4.5	7.30	1.69	14.5
	p10, p90	0.39, 3.31	0.88, 4.70	4.5, 109.0	2.70, 14.90	0.55, 3.39	9.2, 22.3
	n	97	125	117	109	68	50
Antwerp Port	median	0.95	1.55	4.5	6.65	1.23# ^a (L)	15.9
	p10, p90	0.40, 3.53)	0.80, 3.94	4.5, 84.0	2.90, 13.30	0.56, 4.67	8.0, 21.8
	n	75	64	64	62	49	39
Fruit Area	median	0.88#	1.57# (L)	4.5	6.00# (L)	1.35 (L)	15.5*
	p10, p90	0.33, 2.17	0.59, 3.60	4.5, 161.0	2.30, 14.10	0.85, 3.19	11.4, 26.1
	n	100	88	111	75	44	35
Olen	median	0.97	1.57	4.5	7.00	1.60	14.3
	p10, p90	0.35, 3.42	0.72, 5.41	4.5, 121.0	3.00, 12.50	0.61, 2.60	8.2, 23.4
	n	95	79	79	79	74	40
Ghent	median	0.96	1.88*	4.5	7.25	2.03* (H)**	15.3
	p10, p90	0.45, 2.96	0.81, 4.30	4.5, 111.0	3.20, 14.30	0.97, 3.65	9.7, 22.9
	n	93	99	99	98	85	72
Waste Incinerators	median	0.86	1.89*	4.5#	8.60 (H)	2.24* (H)**	17.9 (H)**
	p10, p90	0.30, 2.49	0.82, 4.33	4.5, 59.0	2.90, 17.40	0.95, 3.13	9.4, 28.4
	n	94	121	102	101	100	51
Rural area	median	1.06	1.79	4.5	7.00	1.97**	14.7# (L)
	p10, p90	0.34, 2.87	0.80, 3.31	4.5, 159.0	2.50, 16.10	1.03, 2.95	8.0, 20.8
	n	100	114	114	110	101	76
Albert Canal	median	1.08	1.49 (L)	4.5	7.10	1.97	15.5
	p10, p90	0.47, 3.17	0.80, 3.30	4.5, 139.0	3.00, 15.60	0.95, 2.67	10.0, 21.9
	n	97	103	103	103	37	35
Ghent Port	median	0.81	1.84	4.5	6.60	1.73	9.3
	p10, p90	0.43, 2.76	0.78, 4.08	4.5, 512.0	3.20, 14.20	1.00, 2.57	-
	n	19	36	36	36	35	1

H indicates significantly higher values for the area compared to the rest of Flanders.
L indicates significantly lower values for the area compared to the rest of Flanders.
# area with lowest crude geometric mean. Significant differences with the area with the lowest geometric mean in an LSD post hoc test are indicated by *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
^a This low value is due to the residents of Beveren situated about 6 kilometres upwind of the industrial installations, who had a mean value of 1.10% (see text).
Median and p10–p90 crude values and number of cases. Statistical significance is assessed in ANOVA.

ISSN: 1476-069X