Pesticides exposure in pregnant Argentinian women: Potential relations with the residence areas and the anthropometric neonate parameters

RODRIGUEZ, PIUQUE M.; ONDARZA, PAOLA M.; MIGLIORANZA, KARINA S.B.; RAMIREZ, CRITINA L.; VERA, BERTA; MUNTANER, CELESTE; GUIÑAZÚ, NATALIA L.

CHEMOSPHERE

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2023

0045-6535

Abstract30 Intrauterine environment is the first chemical exposure scenario in life, through31 transplacental transfer. In this study, the aim was to determine concentrations of32 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and selected current use pesticides in the placentas of33 pregnant women from Argentina. Socio-demographic information, the mother´s34 lifestyle and neonatal characteristics were also analysed and related to pesticides residue35 concentrations. Thus, 85 placentas were collected at birth, from an area of intensive fruit36 production for the international market, in Patagonia Argentina. Concentrations of 2337 pesticides including, trifluralin (herbicide), the fungicides chlorothalonil and HCB, and38 the insecticides chlorpyrifos, HCHs, endosulfans, DDTs, chlordanes, heptachlors, drins39 and metoxichlor, were determined by GC-ECD and GC-MS. Results were first analysed40 all together and then grouped by their residential settings, in urban and rural groups.41 Total mean pesticide concentration was 582.6±1,034.4 ng/g lw, where DDTs42 (325.9±950.3 ng/g lw) and chlorpyrifos (188.4±365.4 ng/g lw) showed a high43 contribution. Pesticide levels found exceeded those reported in low, middle and high44 income countries from Europe, Asia and Africa. In general, pesticides concentrations45 were not associated with neonatal anthropometric parameters. When the results were46 analysed by residence place, significantly higher concentrations of total pesticides and47 chlorpyrifos (Mann Whitney test p=0.0003 and p=0.032, respectively) were observed in48 placentas collected from mothers living in rural settings compared to urban areas. Rural49 pregnant women presented the highest pesticide burden (5.9 µg), where DDTs and50 chlorpyrifos were the major constituents. These results suggested that all pregnant51 women are highly exposed to complex pesticide mixtures, including banned OCPs and52 the widely used chlorpyrifos. Based on the pesticide concentrations found, our results53 warn of possible health impacts from prenatal exposure through transplacental transfer.