Study of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Status of X-Ray Technicians Exposed to Low Radiation Doses During Their Occupational Exposure in Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu

Free radicals especially the reactive oxygen species (ROS) implicated in etiology for over hundred diseases. Radiation is one of the major exogenous sources of free radicals in man and it has been proved that ionizing radiation produces ROS in biological system capable of destroying biomolecules. The objective of this study was to measure the serum antioxidant status level in health workers, to estimate the oxidative stress in red blood cells of radiographers by measuring the malondialdehyde (MDA) and percentage hemolysis of RBCs in comparison with controls, to determine the concentrations of antioxidants like vitamin E and catalase in the above groups, to determine the relationship between the levels of oxidative stress, antioxidants and the duration of occupational exposure in radiographers. 5ml of venous blood was collected in heparin. Plasma was used for estimation of vitamin E. The separated cells were used for the assay of oxidative stress parameters - malondialdehyde -oxidative hemolysis of RBS's (or) per cent of hemolysis of RBC, antioxidant status parameters- vitamin E and catalase. Present results show that the percentage of hemolysis of RBC was higher in, radiographers when compared with control group (p=0.0059). The RBC MDA (p=0.690), Catalase (p=0.050) and plasma vitamin 'E' levels (p=0.50) were higher in radiographers than in control group. Finally we can conclude that there is a mild increase in oxidative stress occurring as a result of chronic occupational exposure to low dose ionizing radiation.