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Maternal arsenic exposure, arsenic methylation efficiency, and birth outcomes in the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) pregnancy cohort in Mexico.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Laine, JE; Bailey, KA; Rubio-Andrade, M; Olshan, AF; Smeester, L; Drobná, Z; Herring, AH; Stýblo, M; García-Vargas, GG; Fry, RC
Published in: Environmental health perspectives
February 2015

Exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) from drinking water is a global public health problem, yet much remains unknown about the extent of exposure in susceptible populations.We aimed to establish the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) prospective pregnancy cohort in Gómez Palacio, Mexico, to better understand the effects of iAs exposure on pregnant women and their children.Two hundred pregnant women were recruited for this study. Concentrations of iAs in drinking water (DW-iAs) and maternal urinary concentrations of iAs and its monomethylated and dimethylated metabolites (MMAs and DMAs, respectively) were determined. Birth outcomes were analyzed for their relationship to DW-iAs and to the concentrations and proportions of maternal urinary arsenicals.DW-iAs for the study subjects ranged from < 0.5 to 236 μg As/L. More than half of the women (53%) had DW-iAs that exceeded the World Health Organization's recommended guideline of 10 μg As/L. DW-iAs was significantly associated with the sum of the urinary arsenicals (U-tAs). Maternal urinary concentrations of MMAs were negatively associated with newborn birth weight and gestational age. Maternal urinary concentrations of iAs were associated with lower mean gestational age and newborn length.Biomonitoring results demonstrate that pregnant women in Gómez Palacio are exposed to potentially harmful levels of DW-iAs. The data support a relationship between iAs metabolism in pregnant women and adverse birth outcomes. The results underscore the risks associated with iAs exposure in vulnerable populations.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Environmental health perspectives

DOI

EISSN

1552-9924

ISSN

0091-6765

Publication Date

February 2015

Volume

123

Issue

2

Start / End Page

186 / 192

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pregnancy
  • Mexico
  • Maternal Exposure
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Humans
  • Gestational Age
  • Female
 

Citation

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Laine, J. E., Bailey, K. A., Rubio-Andrade, M., Olshan, A. F., Smeester, L., Drobná, Z., … Fry, R. C. (2015). Maternal arsenic exposure, arsenic methylation efficiency, and birth outcomes in the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) pregnancy cohort in Mexico. Environmental Health Perspectives, 123(2), 186–192. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307476
Laine, Jessica E., Kathryn A. Bailey, Marisela Rubio-Andrade, Andrew F. Olshan, Lisa Smeester, Zuzana Drobná, Amy H. Herring, Miroslav Stýblo, Gonzalo G. García-Vargas, and Rebecca C. Fry. “Maternal arsenic exposure, arsenic methylation efficiency, and birth outcomes in the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) pregnancy cohort in Mexico.Environmental Health Perspectives 123, no. 2 (February 2015): 186–92. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307476.
Laine JE, Bailey KA, Rubio-Andrade M, Olshan AF, Smeester L, Drobná Z, et al. Maternal arsenic exposure, arsenic methylation efficiency, and birth outcomes in the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) pregnancy cohort in Mexico. Environmental health perspectives. 2015 Feb;123(2):186–92.
Laine, Jessica E., et al. “Maternal arsenic exposure, arsenic methylation efficiency, and birth outcomes in the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) pregnancy cohort in Mexico.Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 123, no. 2, Feb. 2015, pp. 186–92. Epmc, doi:10.1289/ehp.1307476.
Laine JE, Bailey KA, Rubio-Andrade M, Olshan AF, Smeester L, Drobná Z, Herring AH, Stýblo M, García-Vargas GG, Fry RC. Maternal arsenic exposure, arsenic methylation efficiency, and birth outcomes in the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) pregnancy cohort in Mexico. Environmental health perspectives. 2015 Feb;123(2):186–192.

Published In

Environmental health perspectives

DOI

EISSN

1552-9924

ISSN

0091-6765

Publication Date

February 2015

Volume

123

Issue

2

Start / End Page

186 / 192

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pregnancy
  • Mexico
  • Maternal Exposure
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Humans
  • Gestational Age
  • Female