Hair versus urine for the biomonitoring of pesticide exposure: Results from a pilot cohort study on pregnant women. (July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hardy, Emilie M.; Dereumeaux, Clémentine; Guldner, Laurence; Briand, Olivier; Vandentorren, Stéphanie; Oleko, Amivi; Zaros, Cécile; Appenzeller, Brice M.R.
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 152(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Subjects: Pesticides -- Human biomonitoring -- Hair -- Urine -- Exposure assessment; 2-ClBA 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methylbutyric acid -- 3Me4NP 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol -- 3-PBA 3-phenoxybenzoic acid -- 4F3PBA 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid -- Br2CA cis-3-(2, 2dibromovinyl)-2, 2-dimethylcyclopropane-carboxylic acid -- Cl2CA cis-3-(2, 2dichlorovinyl)-2, 2-dimethylcyclopropane-carboxylic acid -- ClCF3CA 3-(2-chloro-3, 3, 3-trifluoro-1-propenyl)-2, 2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid -- DDD dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane -- DDE dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene -- DDT dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane -- DEDTP di-ethyl-di-thiophosphate -- DEP di-ethylphosphate -- DETP di-ethyl-thiophosphate -- DMDTP di-methyl-di-thiophosphate -- DMP di-methyl-phosphate -- DMTP di-methyl-thiophosphate -- HCB hexachlorobenzene -- HCH hexachlorocyclohexane -- Malathion CA malathion monocarboxylic acid -- PCP pentachlorophenol -- PNP p-nitrophenol -- TCPy 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106481
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Highlights: Assessment of the multiple exposure to pesticides of 93 French pregnant women. First study analyzing pesticides from different classes in paired urine and hair samples. 16 to 27 (median = 22) pesticides were detected in each hair sample and 3 to 22 (median = 12) in urine. Both parent and metabolites are detected in hair whereas only metabolites are detected in urine. No correlation between hair and urine was observed for most biomarkers. Abstract: Background/Aim: The quantitative assessment of human exposure to contaminants such as pesticides is a crucial step in the characterization of exposure-associated risk. For this purpose, biomonitoring is often privileged as it presents the advantage of integrating all the possible sources and routes of exposure and of being representative of the internal dose resulting from exposure. Although biological fluids such as urine and blood have been used to date for this purpose, increasing interest has also been observed over the past decade for hair analysis. The present work aimed at comparing the information obtained from the analysis of urine versus hair regarding exposure to pesticides in a pilot cohort of pregnant women. Methods: In ninety-three pregnant women included in the pilot of the French cohort ELFE, one urine and one hair sample were collected simultaneously from each subject at the maternity. Samples were analyzed using GC–MS/MS analytical methods allowing for the detection of both parent pesticides and metabolites, and designed to be as similar as possible between urine and hair for reliable inter-matrix comparison. Fifty-two biomarkers of exposure were targeted, including parents and metabolites of organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates, phenylpyrazoles and other pesticides. Results: The number of different compounds detected ranged from 16 to 27 (median = 22) in hair, and from 3 to 22 (median = 12) in urine. In hair, 24 compounds were found in > 40% of the individuals, whereas only 12 compounds presented the same frequency of detection in urine. Among the chemicals detected in > 80% of both hair and urine samples, only one (pentachlorophenol) showed a signification correlation between hair and urine concentrations. Conclusions: The present results highlight the multiple exposure of the pregnant women included in this cohort and suggest that hair provides more comprehensive information on pesticide exposure than urine analysis. This study thus supports the relevance of hair analysis in future epidemiological studies investigating association between exposure and adverse health effects.