title: High blood levels of persistent organic pollutants are statistically correlated with smoking.
abstract: Persistent Organic Pollutants (11 pesticides and 14 PCB-congeners), and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, and Zn) were determined in 175 pregnant women and 160 newborn infants (umbilical cord blood) from Disko Bay, Greenland, 1994-96. Among these, 135 women filled out questionnaires about drinking, smoking and intake of traditional Inuit food. Multiple linear regression analyses showed highly significant positive associations between the mothers' smoking status (never, previous, present) and plasma concentrations of all the studied organic pollutants both in maternal blood and umbilical cord blood. Traditional food and not the tobacco is known to be the source of the contaminants. But smoking may influence the enzymatic turnover of toxic substances.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deutch
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006116:Greenland; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D004930:Inuit; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010575:Pesticides