Environmental exposure of legacy and current use pesticides during prenatal life in women from North Patagonia, Argentina

GUIÑAZU N.L.; ONDARZA P.M.; MIGLIORANZA K.S.B.; VERA B.

Santos, SP

Congreso; 12th Biennial Meeting Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Latino América (SETAC LA).; 2017

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Latino América

The occurrence of organochlorine (OCPs) and current use pesticides (CUPs) in environmental compartments has received attention due to their persistence, ubiquity and toxicity. Because of their lipophilic nature, they can bioaccumulate in fatty tissues and can cross through the placenta to fetus. Therefore, the contamination of the placenta with environmental pollutants provides an indicator of exposures for both mother and fetus. Argentina is one of the major producers of cereals (soybean), oilseed and fruits. Río Negro basin provides 4% of the worldwide production of apples and pears concomitantly with an intensive use of pesticides from 50 years ago. This study focusses on the bioaccumulation of OCPs and CUPs in placenta of women from North Patagonia, Argentina. The samples were taken from two populations: -urban: Neuquén city (38°57′S-68°02′W) and -rural: Upper Valley of the Río Negro (39°02′S-67°35′W), which is characterized by the intensive fruit production. Furthermore, socio-demographic characteristics of the women recruited, the neonate anthropometric parameters and CUPs exposure biomarkers were considered. OCPs (endosulfans, DDTs, HCHs, heptachlor, chlordane) and CUPs (chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, trifluralin) were quantified by GC-ECD/GC-MS. Total pesticides levels in rural population were 5 times higher than those in urban (87.8 and 20.5 ng/g lipid weight, respectively). Pesticides pattern distribution was different in both areas, -rural: endosulfan (39.4 ng/g lw) > DDTs (9.7 ng/g lw), and -urban: DDTs (13.7 ng/g lw) > endosulfan (6.1 ng/g lw). All samples presented a-/b-endosulfan ratio >1 (4-14), showing a recent exposure to technical mixture which was banned in 2013. The prevalence of pp´-DDE in both areas (>96%, range 9.6-13.1 ng/g lw), indicates that DDT is still relevant even though it has been banned in Argentina since 1998. Among CUPs, only chlorothalonil was found at low levels (rural=1.1 ng/g lw, urban=0.4 ng/g lw). This report about OCPs and CUPs occurrence in placenta shows the relevance of the environmental exposure to DDT and endosulfan on the mother of highly vulnerable populations. Efforts should be made to improve the environmental health and the safety conditions of general population and, particularly of families living in rural areas.