A comparative monitoring of maternal and cord serum polychlorinated biphenyls levels from Iranian pregnant women between industrial and urban areas

The aim of this study was to compare maternal and fetal exposure to PCBs in pregnant women from a petrochemical and gas area (PGA) and an urban area (UA), by the analyses of serum samples from mother (MS) and cord (CS). After liquid-liquid extracting, samples were analyzed for 12 PCBs congeners by gas chromatography mass spectrometer. Adjusted multiple linear regression models showed the mean levels (μg/L) of total PCBs in the MS and CS samples from the PGA (1.70 ± 0.81 and 1.19 ± 0.43) were significantly higher than those from UA (1.64 ± 0.75 and 1.07 ± 0.38). PCB 44 was predominant in both MS and CS serum samples, and in both PGA (0.80 ± 0.70 and 0.76 ± 0.67) and UA (0.79 ± 0.39 and 0.67 ± 0.34). A negative correlation was found for PCB 52 as one-unit increase in the cord serum levels was associated with 0.024 g decrease in newborn weight. Similarly, one-unit increase in the maternal serum PCB 18 concentrations were associated with 0.09 and 0.086 cm decrease in newborn height and head circumference. The serum levels of PCB 18 and 52 in the mothers who consumed meat and milk at least 1 meal/week were higher than these who consumed meat and milk never or less than 1 meal/month. The findings in this study indicated that higher maternal exposure to PCBs, as result of living in an industrialized area, leads to higher PCBs accumulation in cord blood, which consequently passes to the developing fetus. These events may cause harmful effects on both them in-utero and afterbirth growth and development. © 2022 Elsevier Lt

Diet, exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during pregnancy, and fetal growth: A comparative study of mothers and their fetuses in industrial and urban areas in Southwest Iran

Capsule: Comparison of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons levels of maternal and cord serum samples. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the fetal environment is a high-priority concern due to the fetus being more sensitive than adults to these ubiquitous xenobiotics. The aim of the present study was to compare the maternal and fetal serum levels of ΣPAHs and their effects on fetal growth in an industrial and an urban area in Southwest Iran. The industrial area was the petrochemical and gas area (PGA) of the Central District of Asaluyeh County and the urban area (UA) was the Central District of Bushehr County, Ninety-nine maternal serum (MS) and 99 cord serum (CS) samples from the PGA and 100 MS and 100 CS samples from the UA were collected during May 2018 to February 2019. The mean concentrations of ΣPAHs were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the PGA than the UA in both MS (157.71 vs. 93.56 μg/L) and CS (155.28 vs. 93.19 μg/L) samples. Naphthalene (NAP) was the predominant PAH detected in all the studied samples. Significant negative associations were found between birth weight and anthracene (ANT) level in MS (β = −22.917, p = 0.032; weight decrement = 22.917 g for a 1 μg/L increase in ANT); head circumference and chrysene (CHR) level in MS (β = −0.206, p = 0.023; head circumference decrement = 0.206 cm for a 1 μg/L increase in CHR); and birth height and NAP level in CS (β = −0.20, p = 0.005; height decrement = 0.20 cm for a 1 μg/L increase in NAP). Maternal diet had a significant effect on the serum levels of PAHs. The results of this study showed that transmission of PAHs from mother to fetus through the cord blood is an important issue and mothers who live in industrial areas and consume PAH-containing foodstuffs, and their fetuses, are more at risk than those living in a non-industrial urban area