Abstract
The exposure of pregnant women to environmental pesticides may be harmful to the developing fetus. Our aim was to determine the best matrix to detect fetal exposure to these toxicants.
Methods: Pregnant women were recruited at midgestation from a town in the Philippines where our preliminary survey showed significant use at home or farm of the following pesticide/herbicide: cyfluthrin/propoxur (73%), chlorpyrifos (37%), cypermethrin (31%), pretilachor (28%), bioallethrin (26%), malathion (15%), diazinon (12%) and transfluthrin (11%). Maternal hair and blood were obtained upon recruitment [hair A (n=686), blood A (n=466)] and at birth [hair B (n=493), blood B (n=361)]. Umbilical cord blood (n=346), infant hair (n=345) and meconium (n=342) were obtained at birth. All samples were analyzed for the above compounds by GC/MS.
Results: Analysis of meconium detected the highest fetal exposure rate (% positive) to the toxicants: propoxur (39.2%), diazinon (0.3%), malathion (0.6%), bioallethrin (0.3%), pretilachlor (1.6%), DDT (0.9%) cyfluthrin (0.3%) and cypermethrin (3.5%). Cord blood was only positive for propoxur (3.5%) and infant hair for propoxur (0.3%) and chlorpyrifos (0.3%). By meconium analysis, 40% of the infants were exposed to 1 pesticide and 3% to 2 pesticides. Maternal hair showed the next highest exposure rate, particularly in samples taken at delivery: propoxur (14.2%), chlorpyrifos (0.4%), bioallethrin (9.1%), pretilachlor (0.2%) and DDT (0.6%). Correlations among matrix for propoxur were significant (p<0.02) between meconium and cord blood (r=0.231), maternal hair A and B (r=0.22), maternal blood A and B (r=0.120), maternal blood B and cord blood (r=0.245). High exposure to propoxur was due to use of spray insecticide (Baygon) at home by pregnant women (43%).
Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to environmental toxicants is best detected by the analysis of meconium and maternal hair. Since meconium is fetal in origin, it represents the best matrix to detect fetal exposure to environmental toxicants.
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Ostrea, E., Bielawski, D., Posecion, N. et al. 271 Detection of Fetal Exposure to Environmental Pesticides: A Comparison of Various Matrices. Pediatr Res 58, 401 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00300
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00300