Serum Concentrations of Selected Organochlorines in Pregnant Women and Associations with Pregnancy Outcomes. A Cross-Sectional Study from Two Rural Settings in Cambodia.

Margit Steinholt,Shanshan Xu,Sam Ol Ha,Duong Trong Phi,Maria Lisa Odland,Jon Øyvind Odland

doi:10.3390/ijerph17207652

Abstract

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 194 pregnant women from two low-income settings in Cambodia. The inclusion period lasted from October 2015 through December 2017. Maternal serum samples were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The aim was to study potential effects on birth outcomes. We found low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCP), except for heptachlors, β-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor epoxide, and p,p’-DDE. There were few differences between the two study locations. However, the women from the poorest areas had significantly higher concentrations of p,p’-DDE (p < 0.001) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (p = 0.002). The maternal factors associated with exposure were parity, age, residential area, and educational level. Despite low maternal levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, we found significant negative associations between the PCB congeners 99 (95% CI: −2.51 to −0.07), 138 (95% CI: −1.28 to −0.32), and 153 (95% CI: −1.06 to −0.05) and gestational age. Further, there were significant negative associations between gestational age, birth length, and maternal levels of o,p’-DDE. Moreover, o,p’-DDD had positive associations with birth weight, and both p,p’-DDD and o,p’-DDE were positively associated with the baby’s ponderal index. The poorest population had higher exposure and less favorable outcomes.

Highlights

The European Union defines pollution as the introduction of unwanted, mostly dangerous, material into the Earth’s environment as the result of human activity, and which poses a threat to human health and harms the ecosystems [1]
We found no significant associations between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCP) levels and the different sources for drinking water
Despite low maternal concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls in our material, we found a significant negative association between the PCB congeners 99, 138, and 153 and gestational age

Summary

Introduction

The European Union defines pollution as the introduction of unwanted, mostly dangerous, material into the Earth’s environment as the result of human activity, and which poses a threat to human health and harms the ecosystems [1]. Since 1950 more than 140,000 new chemicals and pesticides have been produced and disseminated worldwide at unknown measures; 5000 of these substances are manufactured at such volumes that they can be found almost anywhere on the globe [2]. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7652; doi:10.3390/ijerph17207652 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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Discussion

Conclusion