In utero exposure to aluminium and other neurotoxic elements in urban coastal South African women at delivery : an emerging concern

Aluminium (Al) is a non-essential neurotoxicant and there is limited information regarding exposure to Al in utero. This study sought to evaluate the in utero exposure to Al in urban South African women, its e ects on birth outcomes and possible synergistic e ects between Al, essential and neurotoxi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Main Authors: Rollin, Halina B., Channa, Kalavati, Olutola, Bukola Ganiyat, Nogueira, Claudina, Odland, Jon Oyvind
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI Publishing 2020
Subjects:
Aluminium
In utero exposure
Birth outcomes
Essential trace elements
Neurotoxic elements
Sex-dependent response to toxicants
South Africa (SA)
Women
Arctic
Norway
Rho
AMAP
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/2263/76594
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051724
Description
Summary:Aluminium (Al) is a non-essential neurotoxicant and there is limited information regarding exposure to Al in utero. This study sought to evaluate the in utero exposure to Al in urban South African women, its e ects on birth outcomes and possible synergistic e ects between Al, essential and neurotoxic elements such as lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As), as well as a a potential sex-dependent response to these elements in neonates. This study has found elevated levels of Al in urban women at delivery. The Spearman’s rank correlation coe cients (p-value) of the association between maternal serum Al and birth outcomes (gestational age and parity), and between maternal serum Al and Cu, Zn and Se, were statistically significant. However, in the general and the stratified models, no association was found between any of the birth outcomes and maternal serum Al. The association between maternal serum Al and neurotoxic elements at delivery showed a significant positive correlation for Pb only (rho = 0.361; p < 0.001) which was found to be sex-dependent in neonates (males, rho = 0.285; p < 0.004 and females, rho = 0.444, p < 0.001). Our preliminary findings indicate that in utero exposure to Al is an emerging concern requiring further research and directives from public health authorities. The National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa, the Research Council of Norway, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and the Norwegian Royal Ministry for Foreign Affairs. http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph am2020 School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH)

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