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Neonatal serum p,p ’‐DDE concentrations in Germany: chronological changes during the past 20 years and proposed tolerance level
Author(s) -
Lackmann Gerd M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3016.2004.00621.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gestational age , cord blood , percentile , venous blood , fetus , metabolite , birth weight , physiology , pregnancy , pediatrics , statistics , genetics , mathematics , biology
Summary p,p’ ‐DDE, the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT, is prenatally transmitted from mother to fetus. Many potential effects of low‐level exposure have been reported, including preterm delivery, growth retardation and neurological impairment, although scientific evidence is still lacking. We present p,p’ ‐DDE concentrations in full‐term human neonates over a time period of 20 years in Germany. Peripheral venous blood samples were taken from neonates born in 1984–85 ( n = 80) and 1994–95 ( n = 80), as well as cord blood samples from neonates born in 1998 ( n = 199), and peripheral venous blood samples from neonates born in 2002 ( n = 20). Blood specimens were immediately centrifuged, and serum was stored at −20°C until analysis. Serum p,p’ ‐DDE concentrations were determined with capillary gas chromatography followed by electron capture detection. Differences between study groups were tested for mean differences with the Kruskal‐Wallis test. There were no differences between the study groups with regard to sex distribution, birthweight, gestational age, age of the mother, and smoking behaviour of the parents. We found a significant ( P < 0.0001) chronological decline of neonatal serum p,p’ ‐DDE concentrations, with the highest values in 1984–85 (mean = 1.49 µg/L; range: 0.30–5.58) and the lowest in 2002 [mean = 0.18 µg/L; range: 0.07–0.54; tolerance level (95th percentile by rank) = 0.30 µg/L]. Neonatal p,p’ ‐DDE concentrations today are significantly lower than in the mid‐1990s, when many studies of adverse side effects of p,p’ ‐DDE were performed. The present results suggest that the neonatal burden of p,p’ ‐DDE now is so low that there may be no attendant health risks for newborns and children, however, further studies are warranted to elucidate possible long‐term health effects even of low‐level organochlorine pollution.