Anthropometric, socioeconomic, and maternal health determinants of placental transfer of organochlorine compounds

Abstract

The aim of this study was to relate placental transfer, quantified by the cord to maternal serum concentration ratio (C/M), of five organochlorine pesticides (OCP) hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) , p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE and 15 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners (28, 52, 101, 105, 114, 118, 123+149, 138+163, 153, 156+171, 157, 167, 170, 180, and 189) to anthropometric, socioeconomic, and maternal health characteristics. We included into the study 1,134 births during the period 2002–2004 from two districts in eastern Slovakia with high organochlorine concentrations relative to other areas of the world. Only concentrations >LOD were taken into account. Variables as age, weight and height of mothers, parity, ethnicity, alcohol consumption, illness during pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, hypertension, respiratory diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes mellitus, and birth weight were related to C/M. Results of regression analyses showed that C/M was predicted by several factors studied. Positive associations were observed for gestational alcohol consumption, fewer illnesses during pregnancy, maternal age, and maternal weight. Caucasians had a greater C/M compared to Romani for wet weight data of congeners 170 and 180 and in contrast C/M for HCB was greater in Romani. Our results show that drinking mothers compared to abstaining expose their fetuses not only to alcohol but to an increased level of several PCB congeners. A straightforward explanation of associations between C/M shifts and factors studied is very difficult, however, with regard to the high lipophilicity of OCPs and PCBs, changes in their kinetics probably reflect lipid kinetics.

Partitioning of hexachlorobenzene between human milk and blood lipid

“…The respective equations, based on median HCB cord serum/maternal serum concentration ratios of 0.265 for wet weight and 1.097 for lipid adjusted HCB concentrations (Patayová et al, 2013), are as follows: $$1.097MaternalserumHCBlevel(ng/glipid)=CordserumHCBlevel\left(ng/glipid\right)$$ $$0.265MaternalserumHCBlevel\left(ng/Lserum\right)=CordserumHCBlevel\left(ng/Lserum\right)$$…”

“…However the relationship between the concentration of the compounds in milk and the fetus is not straightforward. In our paper, we derive parameters necessary for conversion of breast milk HCB concentrations into cord serum levels, both, wet weighed and lipid adjusted, based on the extant published literature and our own data (Patayová et al, 2013; Lancz et al, 2015). …”

“…The ratio under 1) was derived from our literature search. The ratio under 2) was based on our data on partition of HCB between maternal and cord blood lipids (Patayová et al, 2013). Briefly, maternal and cord HCB concentrations were determined in 1027 mother-infant pairs taken part in a birth cohort study in eastern Slovakia (Hertz-Picciotto et al, 2003).…”

“…As a result of its prevalent use and its slow decay (EFSA, 2006), HCB can remain in the environment for a long time. Indeed, serum specimens from populations worldwide indicate that HCB is ubiquitous (Patayová et al, 2013; Woodruff et al, 2011; Fisher et al, 2016) despite being phased out several decades ago.…”

Blood concentrations and risk assessment of persistent organochlorine compounds in newborn boys in Turkey. A pilot study

“…Patayová et al (2013)) have demonstrated the highest 4,4′-DDE levels in the Europe zone with 393.348 ng/g lipid. Although 4,4′-DDT exposure seemed to be lower than in Spain, the determined value was 17.427 ng/g lipid.…”