title: Gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls in human placenta and cord blood.
abstract: Gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in placenta, maternal blood, cord blood, and milk were carried out. Trichlorobiphenyl, tetrachlorobiphenyl, pentachlorobiphenyls, and hexachlorobiphenyls were identified by the mass chromatogram and the mass spectra. Some minor peaks of PCBs were identified by gas chromatography. The relationship between the PCB concentration in placenta and that in milk is different in each PCB congener. The higher the chlorine content of the PCB congener, the more significant the correlation. No significant but a low negative correlation exists between the concentration of some PCB congeners in the placenta and that in cord blood. On the other hand, a significant linear correlation exists between the concentration of hexachlorobenzene in the placenta and that in cord blood. The transplacental transport of each PCB congener varied depending upon its chemical nature. Trichlorobiphenyl and tetrachlorobiphenyl were more transferable than hexachlorobiphenyls. The results show that the placenta and cord blood are useful human samples to analyze the body burden of environmental pollutants and to estimate their transfer from mother to fetus.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000032:analysis; D010920:Placenta / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls