Exposure to multiple chemicals in a cohort of reproductive-aged Danish women

Abstract

Background Current exposure assessment research does not sufficiently address multi-pollutant exposure and their correlations in human media. Understanding the extent of chemical exposure in reproductive-aged women is of particular concern due to the potential for in utero exposure and fetal susceptibility. Objectives The objectives of this study were to characterize concentrations of chemical biomarkers during preconception and examine correlations between and within chemical classes. Methods We examined concentrations of 135 biomarkers from 16 chemical classes in blood and urine from 73 women aged 18–40 enrolled in Snart Foraeldre/Milieu, a prospective cohort study of pregnancy planners in Denmark (2011–2014). We compared biomarker concentrations with United States similarly-aged, non-pregnant women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Environmental Survey (NHANES) and with other international biomonitoring studies. We performed principal component analysis to examine biomarker correlations. Results The mean number of biomarkers detected in the population was 92 (range: 60–108). The most commonly detected chemical classes were phthalates, metals, phytoestrogens and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Except blood mercury, urinary barium and enterolactone, geometric means were higher in women from NHANES. Chemical classes measured in urine generally did not load on a single component, suggesting high between-class correlation among urinary biomarkers, while there is high within-class correlation for biomarkers measured in serum and blood. Conclusions We identified ubiquitous exposure to multiple chemical classes in reproductive-aged Danish women, supporting the need for more research on chemical mixtures during preconception and early pregnancy. Inter- and intra-class correlation between measured biomarkers may reflect common exposure sources, specific lifestyle factors or shared metabolism pathways.

Predictors of mercury, lead, cadmium and antimony status in Norwegian never-pregnant women of fertile age

“…Fish consumption is generally high in Norway [ 47 ], but the lower median Hg level in our population might be due to a high percentage of vegetarians (22%). Omnivores with a high fish intake had a median Hg level of 7.0 nmol/L, comparable to Danish women of fertile age (geometrical mean (GM) 7.93 nmol/L) [ 43 ] ( Table 5 ). Tobacco-users had also lower levels of Hg and conversely a lower intake of fish, compared to non-users of tobacco.…”

“…Compared to published studies ( Table 5 ), the median Hg value (4.91 nmol/L) in our population was low. Hg levels vary in different populations according to published studies [ 37 – 43 ] ( Table 5 ). A considerable higher Hg level, geometrical mean (GM) 13.1 nmol/L, was reported in Korean women above 20 years in 2008 [ 41 ], while a lower level, median 3.74 nmol/L, was found in a Czech mixed population aged 18–58 years in 2009 [ 39 ] ( Table 5 ).…”

Perceptions, Knowledge, and Practices Concerning Indoor Environmental Pollution of Parents or Future Parents

“…Indoor environment is a mixture of physical, chemical, and biological pollutants that originate from outdoor air, building and decorative materials, combustion appliances, and human activity [ 9 ]. Exposure to indoor environmental pollutants in the general population is ubiquitous, multiple, and chronic [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The routes of exposure and penetration into the body are ingestion, inhalation, dermal, mucosal, and transplacental.…”

First trimester maternal exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals and metals and fetal size in the Michigan Mother–Infant Pairs study

“…[1][2][3][4] In recent years, studies in the United States, Canada and Denmark have measured dozens to hundreds of chemicals among pregnant women or women planning pregnancies and found phthalates, phenols and metals to be among the most widely detected. [1][2][3][5][6][7] For example, in the Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study, the phenols triclosan (TCS) and bisphenol A (BPA) as well as metabolites of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were detected in >95% of first trimester maternal urine samples. 3,7 While the exposure landscape varies by region, diet, occupation and cultural practices around the globe, phenols, phthalates and metals are near ubiquitous.…”