PESTICIDE EXPOSURE IN PREGNANT WOMEN FROM SANTA FE: A BIOMONITORING STUDY

RACCA, M. EMILIA; CEPEDA, JULIETA; CARDOZO, M. ALEJANDRA; BODRONE, ROMINA; RINESI, ALDO RUBEN; REPETTI, MARIA ROSA; ROSSETTI, M. FLORENCIA; RAMOS, JORGE G.; LUQUE, ENRIQUE H.; MUÑOZ-DE-TORO, MÓNICA; MILESI, MARÍA MERCEDES; VARAYOUD, JORGELINA

Mar del Plata

Congreso; Reunión Anual de Sociedades de Biociencias.; 2023

The exposome represents lifestyle factors, endogenous systems and environmental exposures from gestation and throughout life that may affect reproductive health. Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between the environmental exposome and adverse reproductive outcomes. However, few have focused on biomonitoring environmental toxicants in samples of pregnant women. This study aims to determine which pesticides are present in urine samples of pregnant women living in the Litoral region. Participants (first, second and third trimester, aged 18-40) were enrolled at several health centers in Santa Fe, Reconquista and San Justo. After written informed consent, urine samples were collected and stored at -20°C until analysis. According to the World’s Health Organization recommendations for the assessment of chemicals in human samples, urine samples were excluded if the creatinine concentration was outside the range of 30-300 mg/dl. Sample extraction and clean-up were performed using solid phase extraction with Oasis HLB Prime cartridges, and residue identification and quantification was performed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Twenty-six samples were included and 23 residues were identified. Among them, hexachlorobenzene (0.1-0.2 ppb), vinclozolin (0.1-0.7 ppb) and propazine (0.1-0.2 ppb) were more frequently quantified. For these compounds, the detection and quantification limits of the method were 0.03 and 0.1 ppb, respectively. In addition, more than one residue was detected in 85% (22/26) and quantified in 58% (15/26) of the samples. We demonstrate the importanceof measuring chemicals in human samples after detecting several agrochemicals reported to impair human health. This is the first report of pesticide biomonitoring in urine samples during pregnancy in Argentina. Further analysis will include measurements on a larger group of pregnant women, and the risk assessment for adverse pregnancy outcomes.