title: Assessment of prenatal exposure to persistent organohalogen compounds from cord blood serum analysis in two Mediterranean populations (Valencia and Menorca).
abstract: Prenatal levels of organohalogen compounds (OHCs), including polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes and DDTs, have been investigated in two different cohorts from the Spanish Mediterranean area, Valencia and Menorca, by analysis of cord blood serum. Comparison of the observed median concentrations to other cohorts shows low PBDE levels (2.8-6.5 ng g(-1) lipid) but high values of HCB (0.68 ng ml(-1), 260 ng g(-1) lipid) and PCBs (0.65 ng ml(-1), 240 ng g(-1) lipid) in the cohort of Menorca indicating that Mediterranean areas, and not only high latitude regions, may contain population groups highly exposed to some of these pollutants. Significant differences in the concentrations of these compounds have been found between the two cohorts. Differences in maternal population such as age or body mass index cannot explain this variation. One possible cause of variability is the seven year time period elapsed between the two cohort recruitments but the strong differences observed do not allow exclusion of local diet differences. Thus, the different average PCB congener distributions between the two cohorts suggest an influence from materials containing diverse PCB mixtures. The congener mixtures found in Menorca could reflect a diet contribution from some western Mediterranean fish species. These results provide baseline information on prenatal OHC background levels in the Mediterranean area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vizcaino
authors.forename: Joan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Grimalt
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carrizo
authors.forename: Maria-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lopez-Espinosa
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Llop
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rebagliato
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Maties
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torrent
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003634:DDT / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000097:blood; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000097:blood*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood*; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood*; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D010575:Pesticides; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls