Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Maternal and Umbilical Cord Blood from Pregnant Hispanic Women Living in Brownsville, Texas

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Ken Sexton²  Jennifer J. Salinas²  Thomas J. McDonald³  Rose M. Z. Gowen²  Rebecca P. Miller¹  Joseph B. McCormick² 

[1] Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Region 12, 5425 Polk Street, Houston, TX 77023, USA; E-Mail:;University of Texas School of Public Health, Brownville Regional Campus, 80 Fort Brown–AHC, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA; E-Mails:;School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M System Health Science Center, SRPH Building, College Station, TX 77843, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: biomarkers;    fetal exposure;    maternal exposure;    PAHs;    prenatal exposure;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph8083365

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Venous blood was drawn from 35 pregnant Hispanic women living in Brownsville, Texas, and matched cord blood was collected at birth. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to measure concentrations of 55 individual PAHs or groups of PAHs. Results indicate that these women and their fetuses were regularly exposed to multiple PAHs at comparatively low concentrations, with levels in cord blood generally exceeding levels in paired maternal blood. While the possibility of related adverse effects on the fetus is uncertain, these exposures in combination with socioeconomically-disadvantaged and environmentally-challenging living conditions raise legitimate public health concerns.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.