Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza, Palestine.
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Al Tarfa Street, Zone 70, Doha, P.O. Box 200592, Qatar.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 14;17(18):6698. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186698.
Toxicant, teratogen and carcinogen metal war remnants negatively affect human health. The current study analyzes, first, the persistence of heavy metal contamination in newborn hair in four cohorts across time in Gaza Palestine; second, the change in mothers' and infants' heavy metal contamination from birth to toddlerhood; and third, the impact of heavy metal contamination on infants' and toddlers' growth and development. The hair of newborns was analyzed for twelve heavy metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) in cohorts recruited at delivery in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018-2019. In the 2015 cohort, mothers' hair samples were taken at delivery, and toddlers and mothers hair were also analyzed 18 months later. Growth levels of infants at six months and toddlers at 18 months were assessed according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards according to a mother report and pediatric check-up, respectively. 1. The level of metal contamination in utero was persistently high across 8 years, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, following three major military attacks (2009, 2012, 2014). 2. The 2015 cohort babies exposed in utero to attacks in 2014 at six months showed association of high load at birth in mother of arsenic and in newborn of barium with underweight, of barium and molybdenum in newborn with stunting. 3. Eighteen months after birth, toddlers had a higher level of metals in hairs than when they were born, while, in their mothers, such levels were similar to those at delivery, confirming persistence in the environment of war remnants. Underweight and stunting, both in infants and toddlers, were higher than reported for previous years, as well as being progressive within the cohort. Severe environmental factors, metal contamination and food insecurity put Gaza's infant health at risk.
有毒物质、致畸物和致癌物等金属战争遗留物对人类健康产生负面影响。本研究首先分析了加沙地带 4 个队列中新生儿头发中重金属污染随时间的持续情况；其次，分析了母亲和婴儿从出生到幼儿期重金属污染的变化；最后，分析了重金属污染对婴儿和幼儿生长发育的影响。通过电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP/MS）对 2011 年、2015 年、2016 年和 2018-2019 年分娩时招募的 4 个队列的新生儿头发中的 12 种重金属进行了分析。在 2015 年的队列中，在分娩时采集了母亲的头发样本，18 个月后还分析了幼儿和母亲的头发。根据母亲报告和儿科检查，分别根据世界卫生组织（WHO）标准评估了 6 个月大婴儿和 18 个月大幼儿的生长水平。1. 在 8 年时间里（2011 年、2015 年、2016 年和 2019 年），在经历了三次重大军事袭击（2009 年、2012 年和 2014 年）后，子宫内的金属污染水平持续很高。2. 2015 年的队列中，在子宫内接触到 2014 年袭击的婴儿在 6 个月时，母亲体内的砷负荷和新生儿体内的钡负荷与体重不足有关，而新生儿体内的钡和钼负荷与发育迟缓有关。3. 出生 18 个月后，幼儿头发中的金属含量高于出生时，而母亲头发中的金属含量与分娩时相似，这证实了战争遗留物在环境中的持久性。婴儿和幼儿的体重不足和发育迟缓均高于前几年的报告，并且在队列中呈递增趋势。严重的环境因素、金属污染和粮食不安全使加沙婴儿的健康面临风险。
