Organochlorine Pesticide Gradient Levels Among Maternal Adipose Tissue, Maternal Blood Serum and Umbilical Blood Serum

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to determine levels and calculate ratios of copartition coefficients among organochlorine pesticides β-HCH, pp'DDE, op'DDT and pp'DDT in maternal adipose tissue, maternal blood serum and umbilical blood serum of mother-infant pairs from Veracruz, Mexico. Organochlorine pesticides were analyzed in 70 binomials: maternal adipose tissue, maternal serum and umbilical cord serum samples, using gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). The results were expressed as mg/kg on fat basis. p,p'-DDE was the major organochlorine component, detected in every maternal adipose tissue (0.770 mg/kg), maternal serum sample (5.8 mg/kg on fat basis) and umbilical cord blood sample (6.9 mg/kg on fat basis). p,p'-DDT was detected at 0.101 mg/kg, 2.2 mg/kg and 5.9 mg/kg respectively, according to the order given above. β-HCH was detected at 0.027 mg/kg, 4.2 mg/kg and 28.0 mg/kg respectively. op'DDT was detected only in maternal adipose tissue at 0.011 mg/kg. The copartition coefficients among samples identify significant increases in concentrations from adipose tissue to maternal blood serum and to umbilical blood serum. The increase indicated that maternal adipose tissue released organochlorine pesticides to blood serum and that they are carried over to umbilical cord blood.

Inverse correlation among organochlorine pesticide levels to total lipid serum contents: a preliminary study in Veracruz, México

“…Therefore, biological activity of organochlorine pesticides in the human body can be related to its molecular structure and physical-chemical properties. Our results are in concordance with that of Malarvannan et al (2013), Dirtu et al (2013), andHerrero-Mercado et al (2011), indicating a potential steady redistribution of these pesticides among body compartments and low metabolic rate (Kim et al 2011;Gyalpo et al 2012). Recently, De Roos et al (2012) showed that indicators of greater adiposity (such as weight, body mass index, fat mass percent, subcutaneous abdominal fat, intra-abdominal fat, waist circumference, and hip circumference) were related to lower plasma concentrations of most organochlorine pesticides.…”

“…Also, another important factor is molecular size, that may simulate partitioning and diffusion processes in tissues containing lipids, affecting their tendency to bioconcentrate (Katagi 2010). Thereafter, the organochlorine pesticides enter the circulatory system and are transported through the lipid and lipoprotein components of blood serum and deposit in adipose tissue according to the partition coefficients between blood and adipose tissue lipids, which occurs on the people exposed (Daley et al 2014;Dirtu et al 2013;Malarvannan et al 2013;Herrero-Mercado et al 2011). It is considered that these lipophilic substances are in a state of equilibrium across body compartments: blood, fat, organs (Porta et al 2009).…”

Cumulative Chemical Exposures During Pregnancy and Early Development

“…OCs are able to cross the placenta and are detected in cord serum [104, 122, 123], meconium [94], placenta [124] and amniotic fluid [109, 110]. Using wet weights, OC levels are higher in maternal than cord blood, though the difference is slight for some compounds [113, 114, 125]. Using lipid-adjusted measures, OC levels are typically slightly higher in cord than maternal serum, though the levels are not different enough to imply fetal accumulation [114, 125, 126].…”

Comparison of Organochlorine Pesticide Levels Between Human Blood Serum and Adipose Tissue

“…Therefore, humans continue to be exposed to different organochlorine pesticides, at background levels and via direct routes of intake (ingestion, inhalation, intrauterine transmission, etc. ) (WHO 2003, Alegria et al 2008, Grandjean et al 2008, Knobeloch et al 2009, Lignell et al 2009, Herrero et al 2011, Matsumoto et al 2014. Environmental exposure to organochlorine pesticides is caused by permanent volatilization and consumption of polluted food, which tends to have small daily variations; these concentrations are indicators of a chronic exposure.…”

“…The quantification of individual levels within inhabitants exposed to the contaminants over an extended life span was measured by sequential determinations of these pesticides (Herrero et al 2011, Waliszewski et al 2012, Caba et al 2015, Gallo et al 2015. Therefore, the organochlorine pesticide residues draw attention to many problems related to human pollution, originated by life in a polluted environment.…”