Cytogenetic analysis and occupational health in the Czech Republic

This paper summarizes the experiences of the Czech Hygiene Service since the middle 1970s until the present time, using cytogenetic analysis as a biomarker of exposure. We have included a review of all the available scientific literature in Czech as well as in English, and have described the most important milestones in the history of the use of cytogenetic analysis in the Czech Republic. Details on the levels of occupational exposure and the corresponding observed frequencies of aberrant cells are provided. Furthermore, we discuss the interpretation of the cytogenetic findings in the context of occupational health and give several examples when the results of cytogenetic analysis provided the chief argument used to enforce improved working conditions and to establish safer maximum allowable concentrations.