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- Glynn, Anders, et al.
(author)
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Determinants of serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds in Swedish pregnant women : a cross-sectional study
- 2007
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In: Environmental Health. - 1476-069X. ; 6, s. 2-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: We performed a cross-sectional study of associations between personal characteristics and lipid-adjusted serum concentrations of certain PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides/metabolites among 323 pregnant primiparous women from Uppsala County (age 18-41 years) sampled 1996-1999. METHODS: Extensive personal interviews and questionnaires about personal characteristics were performed both during and after pregnancy. Concentrations of organochlorine compounds in serum lipids in late pregnancy were analysed by gas chromatography. Associations between personal characteristics and serum levels of organochlorine compounds were analysed by multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Participation rate was 82% (325 of 395 women). Serum concentrations of PCB congeners IUPAC no. 28, 52, 101, 105 and 167, and o, p'-DDT and -DDE, p, p'-DDT and -DDD, oxychlordane, and gamma- and alpha-HCH were in many cases below the limit of quantification (LOQ). No statistical analysis of associations with personal characteristics could be performed for these substances. Concentrations of PCB congeners IUPAC no. 118, 138, 153, 156 and 180, HCB, beta-HCH, trans-nonachlor and p, p'-DDE increased with increased age and were highest in women sampled early during the 4 year study period. This shows that older women and women sampled early in the study had experienced the highest life-time exposure levels, probably mainly during childhood and adolescence. The importance of early exposures was supported by lower PCB concentrations and higher beta-HCH and p, p'-DDE concentrations among women born in non-Nordic countries. Moreover, serum concentrations of certain PCBs and pesticide/metabolites were positively associated with consumption of fatty fish during adolescence, and concentrations of CB 156, CB 180 and p, p'-DDE increased significantly with number of months women had been breast-fed during infancy. Short-term changes in bodily constitution may, however, also influence serum concentrations, as suggested by negative associations between concentrations of organochlorine compounds and BMI before pregnancy and weight change during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Although some of the associations could be caused by unknown personal characteristics confounding the results, our findings suggest that exposures to organochlorine compounds during childhood and adolescence influence the body burdens of the compounds during pregnancy.
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| 2. |
- Larsdotter, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Serumnivåer av pentaklorfenol, polyklorerade bifenyler och hydroxylerade metaboliter av PCB under graviditet och amning
- 2005
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Lately, interest has focussed on the environmental presence of phenolic organochlorines with endocrine disrupting potential, including pentachlorophenol (PCP) and phenolic PCB-metabolites, and human exposure to these compounds. The present study,aims at determining ten congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), three major hydroxylated PCB metabolites (4OH-CB107, 4OH-CB146, 4OH-CB187), and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in serum from 30 pregnant and breast-feeding women from Uppsala County, Sweden. The studied PCB congeners included both dioxin-like mono-ortho PCBs (CB105, CB118, CB156 and CB167) and di-ortho PCBs with no reported dioxin-like activity (CB138, CB153, and CB180). Results showed that the median levels of ΣPCB decreased from 226 ng/g serum lipid in early pregnancy to 150 ng/g serum lipid in late pregnancy. This pattern of decreasing PCB levels during pregnancy was also evident when looking at the single PCB congeners. The clear decrease in levels of these substances during pregnancy show that it is important to sample blood from pregnant women within a short period of time during pregnancy in order to avoid variation in PCB levels due to sampling timing within a study. Moreover, it is important to know the timing of sample collection when comparing different studies reporting serum/plasma concentrations of PCB in pregnant women. Among the three hydroxylated PCB metabolites analysed in this study, concentrations did not vary significantly during pregnancy. 4OH-CB187 showed highest levels in serum of the three with median concentration of 0.2 ng/g serum. Metabolites 4OH-CB146 and 4OH-CB187 were correlated to its parent compounds whilst 4OH-CB107 was not. This might indicate another source of exposure of 4OH-CB107, which is unknown today. The metabolite 4OH-CB107 significantly increased in serum from late pregnancy (week 31-36) to three weeks after delivery, whereas the levels of the other two metabolites did not change significantly during this time. PCP showed the highest median serum concentrations of the compounds analysed on wet weigh basis, up to 3 ng/g serum in early pregnancy. Serum levels of PCP did not change significantly during pregnancy and showed no correlation between early and late pregnancy. However, a significant increase was observed from late pregnancy to three weeks after delivery. This study shows that PCB and several phenol compounds, of which PCP is dominating, are found in the blood of pregnant and lactating Swedish women, and that the levels in some cases may change during the studied period If the levels of the analysed compounds in pregnant women may pose a health risk to the fetus has still to be determined.
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