Dataset Information

Exposure to organochlorines and mercury through fish and marine mammal consumption: associations with growth and duration of gestation among Inuit newborns.

ABSTRACT: Several studies have reported negative associations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and mercury (Hg) with duration of gestation and fetal growth in fish eating populations. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish, seafood and marine mammal intake has been reported to be positively related with pregnancy duration and fetal growth. So far, it remains unclear, however, if the associations of environmental contaminants (ECs) with growth are direct or mediated through their relation with the duration of gestation and the degree to which DHA intake during pregnancy attenuates the negative association of ECs with fetal growth.To investigate direct and indirect associations of in utero exposure to ECs with fetal growth and pregnancy duration while taking into account the possible positive effects of DHA.Pregnant Inuit women (N=248) from Arctic Quebec were recruited and cord blood samples were analyzed for PCBs, HCB, Hg and DHA. Anthropometric measurements were assessed at birth. Path models were used to evaluate direct and indirect associations.Cord concentrations of PCB 153, HCB and Hg were significantly associated with shorter duration of pregnancy (? varying from -0.17 to -0.20, p<0.05). Path models indicated that the associations of PCBs, HCB and Hg with reduced fetal growth (? varying from -0.09 to -0.13, p<0.05) were mediated through their relations with shorter gestation duration. Cord DHA was indirectly related to greater growth parameters (? varying from 0.17 to 0.20, p<0.05) through its positive association with gestation duration.Prenatal exposure to ECs was associated with reduced gestation duration, which is a recognized determinant of fetal growth. DHA intake during pregnancy appeared to have independent positive association with fetal growth by prolonging gestation. Whether these associations are causal remains to be elucidated.

SUBMITTER: Dallaire R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3632409 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Exposure to organochlorines and mercury through fish and marine mammal consumption: associations with growth and duration of gestation among Inuit newborns.

Dallaire Renée R Dewailly Éric É Ayotte Pierre P Forget-Dubois Nadine N Jacobson Sandra W SW Jacobson Joseph L JL Muckle Gina G

Environment international 20130217

<h4>Background</h4>Several studies have reported negative associations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and mercury (Hg) with duration of gestation and fetal growth in fish eating populations. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish, seafood and marine mammal intake has been reported to be positively related with pregnancy duration and fetal growth. So far, it remains unclear, however, if the associations of environmental contaminants (ECs) with growth are direct or medi ...[more]

PMID: 23422685

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundMercury exposure related to artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has raised environmental and public health concerns globally. Exposure to mercury, a potent neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in fish, is especially of concern to women of childbearing age (WCBA) and children in high-fish consuming populations. In Madre de Dios (MDD), Peru, an Amazon region with naturally occurring mercury and high ASGM activity, there is significant exposure concern among the mainly riverine, fish-consuming communities. The objective of this study was to conduct the first assessment of mercury exposure in a population-based sample of MDD, identify factors associated with elevated levels and compare the relationship between fish consumption and hair total mercury (H-THg) among persons living in ASGM affected and non-ASGM affected watersheds.MethodsHair samples and household demographic surveys, including a module on fish consumption, were collected from 723 participants across 46 communities within 10 km of the Interoceanic Highway in MDD, who were previously enrolled in the first population-based study in MDD spanning areas affected and unaffected by ASGM. H-THg concentration (natural log transformed) was evaluated for association with independent demographic variables through multilevel multivariate regression models accounting for clustering among households and communities. Samples from canned fish available at local stores were also tested for total mercury.ResultsFish consumption (diversity and total consumed) varied spatially along the highway. 269 participants (37.2%) had elevated H-THg (>2.2 μg/g; median 1.60 μg/g; mean 2.24 μg/g), including 42.7% of WCBA and 20.0% of children under 5. Overall, H-THg was higher among people living in ASGM-affected areas. H-THg concentrations were strongly associated with fish consumption; however, in the multivariate models, household consumption of high trophic level fish was associated with elevated H-THg only in communities located in the ASGM-impacted watersheds. Similarly, the relationship between living in a household engaged in economic activities of fishing or Brazil nut harvesting was associated with higher H-THg, but only among households in the ASGM-affected area. In the non-ASGM affected areas, we observed a positive relationship between household daily fruit consumption and H-THg that was not observed in ASGM-affected areas.ConclusionDiet, residential location, and occupation are strong predictors of mercury exposure in Madre de Dios, Peru. Canned fish may represent a previously overlooked source of dietary Hg exposure in the region. In accordance with the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the significant environmental health concern of mercury exposure in ASGM areas demands policy and programmatic attention.

Project description:BackgroundThe scientific literature poses a perplexing dilemma for pregnant women with respect to the consumption of fish from natural bodies of water. On one hand, fish is a good source of protein, low in fat and a rich source of other nutrients all of which have presumably beneficial effects on developing embryos and fetuses. On the other hand, consumption of fish contaminated with environmental toxicants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with decrements in gestation and birth size.Methods2,716 infants born between 1986-1991 to participants of the New York State Angler Cohort Study were studied with respect to duration of maternal consumption of contaminated fish from Lake Ontario and its tributaries and gestation and birth size. Hospital delivery records (maternal and newborn) were obtained for 92% of infants for the ascertainment of gestation (weeks), birth size (weight, length, chest, and head circumference) and other known determinants of fetal growth (i.e., maternal parity, history of placental infarction, uterine bleeding, pregnancy loss or cigarette smoking and infant's race, sex and presence of birth defect). Duration of maternal fish consumption prior to the index infant's birth was categorized as: none; 1-2, 3-7, 8+ years, while birth weight (in grams), birth length (in centimeters), and head and chest circumference (in centimeters) were left as continuous variables in multiple linear regression models. Birth size percentiles, ponderal indices and head to chest circumference ratios were computed to further assess proportionality and birth size in relation to gestational age.ResultsAnalysis of variance failed to identify significant mean differences in gestation or any measure of birth size in relation to duration of maternal lifetime fish consumption. Multiple linear regressions identified gestational age, male sex, number of daily cigarettes, parity and placental infarction, as significant determinants of birth size.ConclusionsThe results support the absence of an adverse relation between Lake Ontario fish consumption and reduced birth size as measured by weight, length and head circumference. Biological determinants and maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy remain important determinants of birth size.

Project description:General population exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), the most common organic mercury compound found in the environment, occurs primarily through the consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish. Due to limited studies and lack of consideration of effect modification by fish consumption, it remains uncertain if exposure to mercury affects semen parameters. Thus, we investigated whether hair Hg levels, a biomarker of mercury exposure, were associated with semen parameters among men attending an academic fertility center, and whether this relationship was modified by intake of fish. This analysis included 129 men contributing 243 semen samples who were enrolled in the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) Study between 2005 and 2013, and had data of hair Hg, intake of fish and semen parameters available. Hair Hg levels were assessed using a direct mercury analyzer. Intake of fish was collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Semen parameters were analyzed following WHO 2010 evaluation criteria. Generalized linear mixed models with random intercepts accounting for within-man correlations across semen samples were used to evaluate the association of hair Hg levels and semen parameters adjusting for age, BMI, smoking status, abstinence time and alcohol intake. Effect modification by total fish intake (?1.68 vs.?>1.68 servings/week) was tested. The median hair Hg levels of the men was 0.72ppm and ranged from 0.03 to 8.01ppm; almost 30% of the men had hair Hg levels >1ppm. Hair Hg levels were positively related with sperm concentration, total sperm count, and progressive motility, after adjusting for potential confounders and became attenuated after further adjustment for fish intake. Specifically, men in the highest quartile of hair mercury levels had 50%, 46% and 31% higher sperm concentration, total sperm count and progressive motility, respectively, compared to men in the lowest quartile. These associations were stronger among men whose fish intake was above the study population median. Semen volume and normal morphology were unrelated to hair Hg levels. These results confirmed exposure to MeHg through fish intake and showed the important role of diet when exploring the associations between heavy metals and semen parameters among men of couples seeking fertility care. Further research is needed to clarify the complex relationship between fish intake and Hg, and potential effects on male reproductive health, specifically, semen parameters.

Dataset Information

Exposure to organochlorines and mercury through fish and marine mammal consumption: associations with growth and duration of gestation among Inuit newborns.

Publications

Exposure to organochlorines and mercury through fish and marine mammal consumption: associations with growth and duration of gestation among Inuit newborns.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure