Background,aim,and scope It has been known that the pollutants of e-wastes can lead to severe pollution to the environment.It has been reported that about 50% to 80% electronic wastes from developed countries are exported to Asia and Africa.It has become a major global environmental problem to deal with "E-wastes".Electronic waste recycling has remained primitive in Jinghai,China.This not only produces enormous environmental pollution,but also can bring about toxic or genotoxic effects on the human body,threatening the health of both current residents and future generations living in the local environment.The concentration of lead in the blood of children in the e-wastes polluted area in China is higher than that of the control area.But little is known on the cyzogenetic effect to human beings caused by the pollution of e-wastes.In the present study,experiments have been performed to investigate the genetics of permanent residents of three villages with numerous electronic waste disposal sites,and to analyze the harmful effects of exposure to electronic waste.Materials and methods In total,171 villagers (exposed group) were randomly selected from permanent xesidents of three villages located in Jinghai County of Tianjin,China,where there was massive disposal of electronic waste.Thirty villagers were selected from the teighboring towns without electronic waste disposal sites to serve as controls.Chromosomal aberrations and cytokinesis blocking micronucleus were performed to detect the cytogenetic effect,dic + r(dicentric and ring chromosome),monomer,fragments (acentric fragments,minute chromosomes and acentric rings),translocation,satellite,quadriadial,total aberrations and micronuclear rate were scored for each subject.DNA damage was detected using Comet assay,the DNA perceutage in the comet tail (TDNA%),tail moment (TM) and Olive tail moment (OTM) were recorded to describe DNA damage to lymphocytes.Results The total chromosome aberration rates(5.50%)and micronuclear rates(16.99%) of the exposure group was significantly higher than the control group (P =0.000).The percentage of DNA in the comet tail,tail moment and Olive tail moment detected by comet assay showed that there was a significant difference in DNA damage in the exposure group(P =0.000).The chromosome aberration,micronucleus rate and DNA damage observed in women were significantly higher than those in men.Chromosome aberration and micronuclear rates of both smokers and non-smokers in exposure group are higher than that of control group obviously (P =0.000).Discussion The use of outdated (and unsafe) ways to deal with eleetranic waste can lead to exposure to a variety of substances harmful to human health.The components of pollution may enter the h{man body through the air,drinking water and food chain,to damage human genetic material,resulting in genosic instability.In addition,the genotoxicity may accumulate in the human body,and may go undetected for many years.The pollutants not only damage the individual genetic material or interfere with the expression of genetic material to induce cancer,but also may be vertically transmitted through reproductive cells to cause infertility,spontaneous abortion,teratogenic effects,barriers to growth and development or other problkms.Conclusions Electronic waste pollution is a potential agent of genetic mutation,and is able to induce cytogenetic damage within the general population exposed to the pollution.These findings need to be considered,and steps should be taken to protect the current population and future generations from the effects of pollution with electronic waste.Recommendations and perspectives Here we report the obviously cytogenetic toxicity to the exposure population by the e-waste pollution for the first time.It remind us that future studies such as pollutant details of drinking water,air and soil in the area;epidemiological investigations on the harmful effect to children must be performed eagerly.As a primary biological qualitative study,questions such as details of pollutants,dose-effect relationship between pollutants and genotoxicity and the influence to health of their offsprings.The results of this study have attracted the attention of the local governmett.The Department of Environmental Protection has entrusted us to start the investigation on the pollutants of drinking water,air and soil in this area.Furtoer epidemiological investigations will be initiated soon.