Röllin Halina B, Rudge Cibele V C, Thomassen Yngvar, Mathee Angela, Odland Jon Ø
South African Medical Research Council, PO Box 87373, Houghton, 2041, South Africa.
J Environ Monit. 2009 Mar;11(3):618-27. doi: 10.1039/b816236k. Epub 2009 Feb 12.
This pilot study uses concentrations of metals in maternal and cord blood at delivery, in seven selected geographical areas of South Africa, to determine prenatal environmental exposure to toxic metals. Samples of maternal and cord whole blood were analysed for levels of cadmium, mercury, lead, manganese, cobalt, copper, zinc, arsenic and selenium. Levels of some measured metals differed by site, indicating different environmental pollution levels in the regions selected for the study. Mercury levels were elevated in two coastal populations studied (Atlantic and Indian Ocean sites) with mothers from the Atlantic site having the highest median concentration of 1.78 microg/L ranging from 0.44 to 8.82 microg/L, which was found to be highly significant (p < 0.001) when compared to other sites, except the Indian Ocean site. The highest concentration of cadmium was measured in maternal blood from the Atlantic site with a median value of 0.25 microg/L (range 0.05-0.89 microg/L), and statistical significance of p < 0.032, when compared to all other sites studied, and p < 0.001 and p < 0.004 when compared to rural and industrial sites respectively, confounding factor for elevated cadmium levels was found to be cigarette smoking. Levels of lead were highest in the urban site, with a median value of 32.9 microg/L (range 16-81.5 microg/L), and statistically significant when compared with other sites (p < 0.003). Levels of selenium were highest in the Atlantic site reaching statistical significance (p < 0.001). All analysed metals were detected in umbilical cord blood samples and differed between sites, with mercury being highest in the Atlantic site (p < 0.001), lead being highest in the urban site (p < 0.004) and selenium in the Atlantic site (p < 0.001). To the best of our knowledge this pilot investigation is the first study performed in South Africa that measured multiple metals in delivering mothers and umbilical cord blood samples. These results will inform the selection of the geographical sites requiring further investigation in the main study.
这项试点研究利用南非七个选定地理区域分娩时母亲血液和脐带血中的金属浓度，来确定产前环境中有毒金属的暴露情况。对母亲和脐带全血样本进行了镉、汞、铅、锰、钴、铜、锌、砷和硒含量的分析。一些被测金属的含量因地点而异，这表明所选研究区域的环境污染水平不同。在所研究的两个沿海人群（大西洋和印度洋地区）中，汞含量升高，来自大西洋地区的母亲汞含量中位数最高，为1.78微克/升，范围在0.44至8.82微克/升之间，与其他地区相比，这一数值具有高度显著性（p < 0.001），但印度洋地区除外。大西洋地区母亲血液中镉的最高浓度为0.25微克/升（范围0.05 - 0.89微克/升），与所有其他研究地区相比，具有统计学显著性（p < 0.032），与农村和工业地区相比分别为p < 0.001和p < 0.004，发现镉含量升高的混杂因素是吸烟。城市地区铅含量最高，中位数为32.9微克/升（范围16 - 81.5微克/升），与其他地区相比具有统计学显著性（p < 0.003）。大西洋地区硒含量最高，具有统计学显著性（p < 0.001）。在脐带血样本中检测到了所有分析的金属，且各地区之间存在差异，其中大西洋地区汞含量最高（p < 0.001），城市地区铅含量最高（p < 0.004），大西洋地区硒含量最高（p < 0.001）。据我们所知，这项试点调查是在南非进行的第一项研究，对分娩母亲和脐带血样本中的多种金属进行了测量。这些结果将为主要研究中需要进一步调查的地理区域的选择提供参考。
