Abstract
There is mounting concern that cumulative exposure to diverse chemicals in the environment may contribute to observed adverse health outcomes in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. To investigate this situation, biomarker concentrations of organochlorine (OC) pesticides/metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in maternal and umbilical cord blood from pregnant Hispanic women in Brownsville, TX. Results show that both mothers and fetuses were exposed concurrently to a variety of relatively low-level, hazardous environmental chemicals. Approximately 10% of the blood specimens had comparatively high concentrations of specific OC pesticides, PCBs and PAHs. Because many pregnant women in Brownsville live in socioeconomically-disadvantaged and environmentally-challenging circumstances, there is appropriate concern that exposure to these exogenous substances, either individually or in combination, may contribute to endemic health problems in this population, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. The challenge is to identify individuals at highest comparative risk and then implement effective programs to either prevent or reduce cumulative exposures that pose significant health-related threats.
Highlights
The developing fetus is known to be more susceptible to adverse toxicologic consequences of many environmental chemicals because of elevated cell proliferation rates, reduced capability to activate and/or detoxify carcinogenic chemicals, and diminished immune-response capacity, among other factors [1,2,3,4]
One region where prenatal exposure to multiple environmental chemicals is a particular concern is along the U.S.—Mexico Border in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas
We report on results from a biomarker study of 35 pregnant Hispanic women residing in Brownsville, including postpartum analysis of cord blood, and summarize contemporaneous biomarker measurements of 30 OC
Summary
The developing fetus is known to be more susceptible to adverse toxicologic consequences of many environmental chemicals because of elevated cell proliferation rates, reduced capability to activate and/or detoxify carcinogenic chemicals, and diminished immune-response capacity, among other factors [1,2,3,4]. There is, compelling evidence that xenobiotic chemicals in maternal blood, including organochlorine (OC) pesticides [5,6,7,8,9,10], polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [11,12,13,14] and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [15,16,17,18,19,20] can cross the placenta and expose the fetus. Actual exposure measurements are scarce, there is strong presumptive evidence that maternal/fetal exposures occur because of inadequate water supplies, marginal or nonexistent sewer systems, both indoor and outdoor air pollution, pesticide use, inappropriate waste disposal, unsafe food, and household and workplace use of hazardous chemicals [35,36,37,38,39,40]. Adding to the substantial pollution burden are a plethora of nonchemical stressors, including: rapid growth of a majority Hispanic, primarily Mexican American population; low rates of educational attainment; high rates of unemployment and poverty; a shortage of health care providers; and a general lack of awareness and knowledge about environmental health issues
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