Investigation of the effects of infrared rays on DNA strand in hot environment workers by comet assay

IR rays extend from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at 700 nm to 1 mm. Occupational exposure of infrared (IR) radiation can emerge in many industrial processes such as bakery, food processing, glass and porcelain productions, iron foundry and mining. IR radiation has beneficial uses for industrial, scientific, and medical applications; however, its possible unhealthy outcomes are unclear. When the thermal comfort conditions are not provided for the bakery employees, especially in the working environments with high temperature values, effects such as fatigue, cramps and heat stroke are observed in the early period. These health problems arise, in particular, from shorter IR wavelengths. In addition, there are not enough studies on the genotoxic risks of bakery workers. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the DNA damage in bakery employees occupationally exposed to the IR rays in hot environment.