Relationship between serum concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides and dietary habits of pregnant women in Shanghai

Abstract

The use of most polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) has been restricted in China; however, their use remains a concern because of their adverse effects on human health, especially on fetuses and infants. To date, there is no data regarding the exposure levels of pregnant women to PCBs and OCPs in Shanghai. In order to evaluate PCB and OCP exposure levels and the contribution of dietary habits to these levels, we determined the concentrations of 8 PCBs and 14 OCPs in the umbilical cord blood serum of healthy pregnant women in Shanghai. Dietary habits of the pregnant women were obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that p, p'-DDE, HCB and β-HCH were the major pollutants present in the serum samples; PCBs were detected in a few samples at low concentrations. Age, weight and body mass index before delivery were positively associated with serum levels of p, p'-DDE and β-HCH. Women and their husbands who had higher education levels, higher income levels, tended to have higher levels of p, p'-DDE and β-HCH. Spearman correlation analysis results suggested that consumption of foods such as milk, eggs, meat, fish, and shrimp may contribute to higher serum levels of p, p'-DDE and β-HCH. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the age and educational levels of the pregnant women and their intake of fried/flamed food and shellfish were positively associated with β-HCH levels, and that the age and educational levels of the pregnant women and their intake of parity, beef, pork, mutton, and shrimp were positively associated with p, p'-DDE levels. This is the first study to investigate the exposure levels of pregnant women to PCBs and OCPs in Shanghai, and it should provide useful information for future related research.