Heavy metal ion concentration in the amniotic fluid of preterm and term pregnancies from two cities with different industrial output

Abstract

The growth and development of the fetus is a complex phenomenon that can be influenced by several variables. High quantities of heavy metal ions in the amniotic fluid have been linked to poor health, especially in industrial, polluted and poor areas. The aim of the present study was to assess the differences in the concentration of these ions between preterm (weeks 15-37) and term pregnancies (starting at week 37). Another objective was to compare pregnancies from two cities with different industry levels. Two sample lots from two Romanian cities were analyzed. A total of 100 patients from Timisoara were compared with 60 from Petrosani, a heavy industry city in Romania. Demographic data were collected, and amniocentesis was performed on all women. Lead (Pb), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were assessed. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric data and the Fisher's exact test for categorical data. In addition, categorical data was represented graphically. In the Timisoara cohort, the differences in heavy metal concentrations between preterm and term pregnancies were not statistically significant. In the Petrosani cohort, however, the concentrations of Zn (P=0.02606) and Cd (P=0.01512) were higher in preterm than in term pregnancies. When comparing the two cohorts as a whole, the concentration of Pb (P=0.04513), Cd (P=0.00002), As (P=0.03027) and Zn (P<0.00001) were higher in the patients from Petrosani than in those from Timisoara. Only Cu concentrations were higher in the Timisoara cohort (P<0.00001). The concentrations of Ni (P=0.78150) and Fe (P=0.44540) did not differ statistically. Thus, amniocentesis is an important diagnostic and exploratory tool in determining differences in the concentrations of elements such as heavy metal ions. Research over a longer period of time should be carried out to examine the relation between heavy metal ions concentration and possible postnatal health outcomes.

A preliminary study to evaluate the exposure of human fetus to heavy metals in the umbilical cord blood in Syria

“…Evaluating the exposure of the pregnant mother and fetus to HM is of interest to many researchers in various countries around the world, as many studies have been conducted on the detection and calibration of HM in fetal biological matrices such as the placenta [5, 6, 7, 8], fetal membranes [8], umbilical cord tissues [5, 8, 9], umbilical cord blood (UCB) [6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15], amniotic fluid [16, 17, 18], neonatal hair [19, 20, 21], neonatal urine [10] and meconium [22].…”

“…In addition to the fact that these researches aim to study the negative effects of this exposure on fetal development in general [3, 7, 23, 24, 25], each of them seeks to establish an approved database in the country of study [4, 11, 15, 18, 26]. These studies pave also the way for subsequent researches in this field which means directing public and official opinions towards adopting the necessary means to reduce the levels of this exposure.…”