Abstract
In Guiyu, an electronic waste recycling site near Shantou, Guangdong province, China, primitive ways of e-waste processing have caused severe cadmium and lead pollution to the local residents. However, the possible effects of cadmium or lead pollution to genomic integrity of the local residents have not been investigated. We examined the possible relationship between cadmium and lead concentrations in placenta and placental telomere length in Guiyu and compared the data with that of a non-polluted town. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and real-time PCR were used to determine placental cadmium and lead concentrations, and placental telomere length. We found that placental cadmium concentration was negatively correlated with placental telomere length (r = −0.138, p = 0.013). We also found that placental cadmium concentration of 0.0294 µg/g might be a critical point at which attrition of placental telomere commenced. No significant correlation between placental lead concentration and placental telomere length was detected (r = 0.027, p = 0.639). Our data suggest that exposure to cadmium pollution during pregnancy may be a risk factor for shortened placental telomere length that is known to be related to cancer development and aging. Furthermore, grave consequence on the offspring from pregnancies in e-waste polluted area is indicated.
Highlights
Guiyu, a town with a population of 132,000 and about 40 KM west of Shantou city, Guangdong province, China (Figure 1A), is one of the biggest recycling centers for e-waste in the world with a 30-year history of operation
We examined the relationships between placental cadmium and lead concentrations and telomere length in term placentas collected from deliveries by Guiyu residents and from other areas without known e-waste pollution
Our results demonstrated that placental telomere length was negatively correlated with placental cadmium concentration with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 20.138 and a p value of 0.013
Summary
A town with a population of 132,000 and about 40 KM west of Shantou city, Guangdong province, China (Figure 1A), is one of the biggest recycling centers for e-waste in the world with a 30-year history of operation. About 60–80% of the local families have engaged in the process of e-waste recycling operated in family-run workshops often without the most basic safety precaution or any environmental protection measure. A study by Xu et al reported that stillbirth rate, LBW (Low Birth Weight) rate and IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Retardation) rate in Guiyu were all significantly higher than that of Xiamen, a city 300 KM north of Guiyu and free of e-waste recycling [3]. Lead can build up in human body and has irreversible toxic effects on human nervous system, especially on the developing nervous system of children [8]
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