Measurement of pesticides and other toxicants in amniotic fluid as a potential biomarker of prenatal exposure: a validation study.

Abstract

Prenatal pesticide exposures may adversely affect children's health. However, exposure and health research is hampered by the lack of reliable fetal exposure data. No studies have been published that report measurements of commonly used nonpersistent pesticides in human amniotic fluid, although recent studies of pesticides in urine from pregnant women and in meconium indicate that fetuses are exposed to these chemicals. Amniotic fluid collected during amniocentesis is the only medium available to characterize direct fetal exposures early in pregnancy (approximately 18 weeks of gestation). As a first step in validating this exposure biomarker, we collected 100 amniotic fluid samples slated for disposal and evaluated analytical methods to measure organophosphate and carbamate pesticides and metabolites, synthetic pyrethroid metabolites, herbicides, and chlorinated phenolic compounds. The following six phenols were detected (detection frequency): 1- and 2-naphthol (70%), 2,5-dichlorophenol (55%), carbofuranphenol (5%), ortho-phenylphenol (30%), and pentachlorophenol (15%), with geometric mean concentrations of 0.72, 0.39, 0.12, 0.13, and 0.23 microg/L, respectively, for positive values. The organophosphate metabolites diethylphosphate and dimethylphosphate were detected in two (10%) samples, and dimethylthiophosphate was detected in one (5%) sample, with geometric mean concentrations of 0.31, 0.32, and 0.43 microg/L, respectively, for positive values. These levels are low compared with levels reported in urine, blood, and meconium in other studies, but indicate direct exposures to the young fetus, possibly during critical periods of development. Results of this pilot study suggest that amniotic fluid offers a unique opportunity to investigate fetal exposures and health risks.

Widely Used Pesticides with Previously Unknown Endocrine Activity Revealed as in Vitro Antiandrogens

“…In our exposure ranking system, it ranked 12th out of 37 test compounds ( Table 1). Considering that ortho-phenyl phenol was highly ranked by exposure and that non agricultural sources were absent from our exposure scores, it is not surprising that it was detected in all human urine samples tested in two studies [mean concentration, 2.9 nM, n = 30 samples (Ye et al 2005); 35.2 nM, n = 22 samples (Bartels et al 1997)], 85% of breast milk samples [mean concentration, 10.6 nM, n = 20 samples (Ye et al 2006)], and 30% of amniotic fluid samples [mean concentration, 0.76 nM, n = 20 samples (Bradman et al 2003)] in the United States. ortho-Phenyl phenol was previously identified as a receptor-mediated anti androgen (Kojima et al 2004), but no data are available on its possible effects in vivo.…”

Current exposure of 200 pregnant Danish women to phthalates, parabens and phenols

“…Exposure of pregnant women is of particular concern because of the potential health impact on the vulnerable foetus, in which exposure may inflict lifelong adverse health effects. Some of these chemicals have been shown to cross the placenta, enter the foetus and recycle via amniotic fluid (Bradman et al 2003, Mose et al 2007, Morck et al 2010. Thus, a number of chemicals measured in maternal urine, serum and breast milk have also been found in amniotic fluid, cord blood and meconium (Ikezuki et al 2002, Main et al 2006, Barr et al 2007, Jensen et al 2012.…”

Seven-Year Neurodevelopmental Scores and Prenatal Exposure to Chlorpyrifos, a Common Agricultural Pesticide

“…In humans, OPs have been detected in amnionic fluid (Bradman et al 2003) and are known to cross the placenta (Richardson 1995;Whyatt et al 2005), posing a threat to the unborn child during a period of rapid brain development. Using urinary metabolites as the biomarker of exposure, several different birth cohort studies have reported that prenatal maternal nonspecific OP exposure was associated with abnormal neo natal reflexes (Engel et al 2007;Young et al 2005), mental deficits and pervasive development disorder at 2 years (Eskenazi et al 2007), and attention problem behaviors and a composite attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder indicator at 5 years of age (Marks et al 2010).…”