Fetal exposure to organic contaminants revealed by infant hair: A preliminary study in south China. (1st January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cai, Feng-Shan; Tang, Bin; Zheng, Jing; Yan, Xiao; Luo, Wei-Keng; He, Mian; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Ren, Ming-Zhong; Yu, Yun-Jiang; Mai, Bi-Xian
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 316(2023)part 1
• Publication Date: 2023-01-01
• Subjects: Infant hair -- Maternal hair -- Organic contaminants -- Fetal exposure -- Birth size; APs alternative plasticizer -- BKMR Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression -- β-HCH β-hexachlorocyclohexane -- BLZ birth length Z score -- BMI body mass index -- BWZ birth weight Z score -- DDT dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane -- DEHP bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate -- DEHT bis-(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate -- DMP dimethyl phthalate -- DOP di-n-octyl phthalate -- EHDPP 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate -- HCZ head circumference Z score -- IQR interquartile range -- LOD limit of detection -- LOQ limit of quantification -- OC organic contaminant -- OCP organochlorine pesticide -- OPFR organophosphorus flame retardant -- PAE phthalate ester -- PBDE polybrominated diphenyl ether -- PFAS poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances -- PIP posterior inclusion probabilitie -- SI supporting information -- TDCIPP tris(1, 3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate -- p, p'-DDE 4, 4′-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene -- p, p'-DDT 4, 4′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120536
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Fetal exposure to multiple organic contaminants (OCs) is a public concern because of the adverse effects of OCs on early life development. Infant hair has the potential to be used as an alternative matrix to identify susceptible fetuses, owing to its reliability, sensitivity, and advantages associated with sampling, handling, and ethics. However, the applicability of infant hair for assessing in utero exposure to OCs is still limited. In this study, 57 infant hair samples were collected in Guangzhou, South China, to evaluate the levels and compositions of typical OCs in the fetus. Most of the target OCs were detected in infant hair, with medians of 144 μg/g, 17.7 μg/g, 192 ng/g, 46.9 ng/g, and 1.36 ng/g for phthalate esters (PAEs), alternative plasticizers (APs), organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), respectively. Meanwhile, paired maternal hair (0–9 cm from the scalp) was collected to examine the associations between maternal and infant hair for individual compounds. Low-brominated PBDEs tended to deposit in infant hair, with median concentrations approximately two times higher than those in maternal samples. Levels of PBDEs and 4, 4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p, p'-DDE) in paired maternal and infant hair showed strong positive correlations (p < 0.05), while most plasticizers (PAEs and APs) were poorly correlated between paired hair samples. Exposure sources were responsible for the variation in correlation between OC levels in the paired infant and maternal samples. Crude relationships between fetal exposure to OCs and birth size were examined using the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model. BDE-28 was found to be adversely associated with the birth size. This study provides referential information for evaluating in utero exposure to OCs and their health risks based on infant hair. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: PAEs, APs, OPFRs, PBDEs, and OCPs were examined in paired infant and maternal hair for the first time. Low-brominated PBDEs had higher deposition in infant hair than that in maternal hair. Infant hair can provide long-term exposure information for low-brominated PBDEs and p, p'-DDE. Higher BDE-28 levels in infant hair were associated with lower birth sizes.