Cadmium, lead and mercury exposure in non smoking pregnant women

Journal Article · Tue Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Environmental Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVRES.2013.07.005· OSTI ID:22246954

Callan, A. C.; Ramalingam, M.; Boyce, M. ^[1]; Heyworth, J. ^[2]; McCafferty, P. ^[3]; Odland, J. Ø. ^[4]

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1. Centre for Ecosystem Management, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027 (Australia)
2. School Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia)
3. ChemCentre, PO Box 1250, Bentley, WA 6983 (Australia)
4. Department of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø (Norway)

Recent literature suggests that exposure to low concentrations of heavy metals may affect both maternal and child health. This study aimed to determine the biological heavy metals concentrations of pregnant women as well as environmental and dietary factors that may influence exposure concentrations. One hundred and seventy three pregnant women were recruited from Western Australia, each providing a sample of blood, first morning void urine, residential soil, dust and drinking water samples. Participants also completed a questionnaire which included a food frequency component. All biological and environmental samples were analysed for heavy metals using ICP-MS. Biological and environmental concentrations of lead and mercury were generally low (Median Pb Drinking Water (DW) 0.04 µg/L; Pb soil <3.0 µg/g; Pb dust 16.5 µg/g; Pb blood 3.67 µg/L; Pb urine 0.55; µg/L Hg DW <0.03; Hg soil <1.0 µg/g; Hg dust <1.0 µg/g; Hg blood 0.46 µg/L; Hg urine <0.40 µg/L). Cadmium concentrations were low in environmental samples (Median CdDW 0.02 µg/L; Cdsoil <0.30 ug/g; Cddust <0.30) but elevated in urine samples (Median 0.55 µg/L, creatinine corrected 0.70 µg/g (range <0.2–7.06 µg/g creatinine) compared with other studies of pregnant women. Predictors of increased biological metals concentrations in regression models for blood cadmium were residing in the Great Southern region of Western Australia and not using iron/folic acid supplements and for urinary cadmium was having lower household annual income. However, these factors explained little of the variation in respective biological metals concentrations. The importance of establishing factors that influence low human exposure concentrations is becoming critical in efforts to reduce exposures and hence the potential for adverse health effects. -- Highlights: • Biological heavy metals concentrations in women in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy. • Exposure assessment including environmental, lifestyle and activity data. • Urinary cadmium concentrations were elevated in this group of pregnant women. • Blood lead and mercury concentrations were below recommended biological guideline values.

• OSTI ID: 22246954
• Journal Information: Environmental Research, Vol. 126; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ABUNDANCE
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
BLOOD
CADMIUM
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CREATININE
DIET
DRINKING WATER
DUSTS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
FOLIC ACID
HEAVY METALS
ICP MASS SPECTROSCOPY
IRON
LEAD
MERCURY
PETROLEUM RESIDUES
PREGNANCY
SMOKES
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SOILS
URINE
WESTERN AUSTRALIA