Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Apr;29(17):24682-24695. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17634-9. Epub 2021 Nov 26.
In recent decades, emerging environmental pollutants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have become a particular concern. This study examined the association of maternal exposure to benzophenones as one of the EDCs with gestational age and evaluated their effects on birth outcomes including birth weight, birth length, head circumference, and Ponderal Index. We assessed 166 pregnant mothers of the PERSIAN cohort population of Isfahan, Iran, in the 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy and their infants at birth. Four common benzophenones (BPs) including 2,4-dihydroxy benzophenone (BP-1), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone (BP-3), 4-hydroxy benzophenone (4-OH-BP), and 2,2'-dihydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone (BP-8) were measured in maternal urine samples. The median urinary concentrations of 4-OH-BP, BP-3, BP-1, and BP-8 in the 1st trimester were 6.62, 7.5, 4.39, and 1.32 µg/g creatinine and those in the 3rd trimester were 3.15, 16.98, 9.95, and 1.04 µg/g creatinine, respectively. BP-3 was the predominant metabolite in both trimesters. There was a significant correlation between BP-3, BP-1, and 4-OH-BP levels (p < 0.05) but not BP-8. BP-1 showed a significant positive association with gestational age (GA) in all infants in the 1st trimester, but a negative association was observed between BP-3 and BP-1 levels and GA in girls. Classification of infants' birth weight for different GAs represented that the majority of them were appropriate for GA. However, boys' weights were heavier than girls. Also, birth outcomes of preterm (< 37 weeks) infants were noticeably lower than term infants (37-42 weeks). This study demonstrated that benzophenone derivatives especially BP-3 can affect the duration of pregnancy and consequently fetal growth in the early and late stages of pregnancy. This is more pronounced in girls; however, more investigations in a different population are needed to prove the results. Therefore, the application of these compounds as a UV protector requires precise regulation to reduce exposure, especially in pregnant women.
在最近几十年中，新兴的环境污染物，如内分泌干扰物（EDCs），已成为一个特别令人关注的问题。本研究探讨了母体暴露于苯并二酮（一种 EDC）与胎龄的关系，并评估了它们对出生体重、出生长度、头围和体质量指数等出生结局的影响。我们评估了伊朗伊斯法罕 PERSIAN 队列人群的 166 名孕妇，在妊娠 1 期和 3 期以及婴儿出生时采集了她们的尿液样本。在母体尿液样本中检测到了四种常见的苯并二酮（BP），包括 2,4-二羟基苯并酮（BP-1）、2-羟基-4-甲氧基苯并酮（BP-3）、4-羟基苯并酮（4-OH-BP）和 2,2'-二羟基-4-甲氧基苯并酮（BP-8）。在妊娠 1 期，4-OH-BP、BP-3、BP-1 和 BP-8 的中位数尿液浓度分别为 6.62、7.5、4.39 和 1.32 µg/g 肌酐，而在妊娠 3 期分别为 3.15、16.98、9.95 和 1.04 µg/g 肌酐。BP-3 是两个孕期的主要代谢产物。BP-3、BP-1 和 4-OH-BP 水平之间存在显著相关性（p<0.05），但与 BP-8 没有相关性。BP-1 与所有婴儿在妊娠 1 期的胎龄（GA）呈显著正相关，但在女孩中，BP-3 和 BP-1 水平与 GA 呈负相关。不同 GA 出生体重的婴儿分类表明，他们中的大多数都符合 GA。然而，男孩的体重比女孩重。此外，早产儿（<37 周）的出生结局明显低于足月儿（37-42 周）。本研究表明，苯并二酮衍生物，特别是 BP-3，会影响妊娠早期和晚期的妊娠持续时间和胎儿生长。在女孩中更为明显；然而，需要在不同人群中进行更多的研究来证实这些结果。因此，需要对这些化合物的应用进行精确的监管，以减少其暴露，尤其是在孕妇中。
