Organochlorine pollutants’ levels in hair, amniotic fluid and serum samples of pregnant women in Greece. A cohort study

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2019Source: Environmental Toxicology and PharmacologyAuthor(s): Michail Barmpas, Elena Vakonaki, Manolis Tzatzarakis, Stauros Sifakis, Athanasios Alegakis, Themos Grigoriadis, Danielle Bittencourt Sodré, Georgios Daskalakis, Aristidis Antsaklis, Aristidis TsatsakisAbstractPersistent organic pollutants are synthetic chemicals highly resistant to degradation with strong tendency to bioaccumulation. Assessment of human exposure to these compounds is crucial for public health protection, especially during vulnerable periods.The aim of the present cohort study was to evaluate the level of contamination to PCBs, o,p’- and p,p’-DDE, o,p’ and p,p’-DDD, o,p’ and p,p’-DDT and HCB in pregnant women. Hair, amniotic fluid and serum samples were collected and analyzed by HS-SPME-GCMS.The most detected analytes in amniotic fluids were p,p’-DDE, p,p’-DDD, o,p’-DDE and PCB101, in serum p,p’-DDE, HCB and PCB101 and in hair p,p’-DDE, HCB and PCB101. The levels of HCB and PCB101 in amniotic fluids were positively correlated with those in hair. Higher levels of DDDs and DDTs in hair samples and PCB28 in amniotic fluids were observed in smoker pregnant women. Gestation age was inversely proportional with the detected levels of PCB101 in all tested samples.
Source: Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research