Monitoring of metals and metalloids from maternal and cord blood samples in a population from Seville (Spain)

Abstract

Nowadays there is an increasing concern about exposition during prenatal stage to environmental pollutants such as metals, that make pregnant women a vulnerable group of population. Numerous studies have shown associations between the prenatal exposition to some metals and an impact on cognitive, motor and intellectual development of the child. Metals and metalloid are ubiquitous in the environment and pregnant women are exposed to them though their diet, lifestyle factors or occupational and environmental sources. One hundred of maternal and one hundred of cord blood samples were obtained at delivery from pregnant women after signing of the informed consent to determine simultaneously levels of Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn by ICP-MS. Among these metals, essential ones (Cu, Mn, Se and Zn) can have health beneficial effects at low levels, however, in high concentration are potentially toxic. On the other hand, elements such as Al, As, Cd, Hg, Pb are classified as toxic metals, no matter what its concentration was. The aim of this study was to find the potential relationships between these metals and metalloid levels, newborn's parameters, pregnancy details and the epidemiologic information obtained using a questionnaire data from the participant pregnant women from Seville (Spain). A n = 100 of participants have been enrolled, 15.6 % of the women from Virgen del Rocio Hospital were smokers during pregnancy but only 11.1 % from Virgen de Valme had the habit. Dietary habits of all participants from both hospital were quite similar in average rice, fish and canned food consumption. The characteristics of newborns were also quite similar for both hospitals. A positive correlation between maternal and cord blood was found between all metals except for Cr and Cu. The strongest correlation was found for Hg (r = 0.779, p < 0.005). Positive but weaker correlations between maternal blood and lifestyle habits were also established.