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. 2023 Feb 8;20(4):2949.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20042949.

Determinants of Exposure to Potentially Toxic Metals in Pregnant Women of the DSAN-12M Cohort in the Recôncavo Baiano, Brazil

Homègnon A Ferréol Bah  1   2 , Victor O Martinez  3 , Nathália R Dos Santos  2   3 , Erival A Gomes Junior  4 , Daisy O Costa  2   3 , Elis Macêdo Pires  2 , João V Araújo Santana  2 , Filipe da Silva Cerqueira  2 , José A Menezes-Filho  1   2   3
Affiliations

Determinants of Exposure to Potentially Toxic Metals in Pregnant Women of the DSAN-12M Cohort in the Recôncavo Baiano, Brazil

Homègnon A Ferréol Bah et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Exposure to potentially toxic metals (PTM) threatens maternal and child health. We investigated the determinants of exposure to lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and manganese (Mn) in 163 pregnant women from the Recôncavo Baiano, Brazil, enrolled in the DSAN-12M cohort. We measured these metals in biological samples (blood, toenails, and hair) and the Pb dust loading rates (RtPb) at their homes by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFAAS). Questionnaires were applied to collect sociodemographic and general habits data. Only 2.91% (n = 4) of the pregnant women had As levels above the detection limit. Few participants had levels above the recommended reference values for blood Pb (5.1; 95% CI: 2.1-10.1%), and Mn in hair or toenails (4.3; 95% CI: 2.3-10.1%). On the other hand, 61.1 (95% CI: 52.4-69.3%) had elevated blood Cd levels. After binary logistic regression, low socioeconomic status, domestic waste burning, being a passive smoker, multiparity, and renovating the house significantly increased the chances of having high levels of Mn, Pb, and Cd. We detected a worrying situation related to exposure to Cd, showing the urgency of implementing human biomonitoring in the general population, especially in situations of social vulnerability.

Keywords: determinants; environmental exposure; maternal health; pregnancy; toxic metals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Selection flowchart of the population study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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