Publications by authors named "G Abitayeh"
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that remain detrimental to critical subpopulations, namely pregnant women. Required tests for biomonitoring are quite expensive. Moreover, statistical models aiming to discover the relationships between pollutants levels and human characteristics have their limitations.
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- Dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) are long-lasting pollutants that accumulate in the environment and can negatively impact fetal growth during pregnancy, as they can transfer to the fetus and newborns through breastfeeding.
- The study examined PCDD/Fs in breast milk and cord serum from pregnant women, finding high detection rates in both (70.7% in breast milk and 46.9-55.1% in cord serum) with significant correlations between them.
- Additionally, the research highlighted various factors influencing PCDD/F levels, indicating associations with maternal diet, age, and lifestyle factors like smoking and weight before pregnancy.
Background: The understanding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) health effects is rapidly advancing among critical populations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess PFAS serum levels among Lebanese pregnant women, cord serum and human milk levels, their determinants, and effects on newborn anthropometry.
Methods: We measured concentrations of six PFAS (PFHpA, PFOA, PFHxS, PFOS, PFNA and PFDA) using liquid chromatography MS/MS for 419 participants, of which 269 had sociodemographic, anthropometric, environmental and dietary information.
Article Synopsis
- Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are toxic chemicals that persist in the environment, accumulating in the food chain and posing health risks, particularly to pregnant women and their babies.
- A study conducted on 423 pregnant women in Lebanon measured their serum levels of PCDD/Fs and analyzed factors like proximity to pollution sources, dietary habits, and weight metrics.
- Findings revealed that PCDD/F levels were generally lower than those found in other countries, with red meat consumption significantly increasing these levels, while factors like pre-pregnancy weight loss and proximity to illegal waste incineration also played a role
In this study, the six indicator non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls NDL-PCBs (PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB138, PCB153, PCB180), as well as four organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and dichlorodiphenyldichlorethylene (DDE) were measured in 98 maternal and 49 cord sera samples of a group of Lebanese women who gave birth in three hospitals in Greater Beirut, between March and July 2018. Results showed that the levels of these persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in maternal serum were below critical limits as well as those in other countries (Tunisia, France, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Greenland, Canada, Brazil, and China). The ratios of cord serum concentrations to maternal serum concentrations of analyzed POPs were higher than 1.
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