Mercury, lead, and cadmium exposure via red blood cell transfusions in preterm infants.

Pediatr Res

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 South Paca, 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.

Published: March 2020

Background: Mercury, lead, and cadmium are developmental neurotoxicants. We predict that preterm newborns requiring packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions may be exposed to neurotoxic doses. We explored the relationship between donor concentration, number of donors, number of transfusions and mercury, lead and cadmium exposure.

Methods: Single-donor PRBCs were analyzed for mercury, lead and cadmium concentration. Dose per transfusion was calculated and compared to intravenous reference doses (IVRfDs). Linear regression analyses were performed to correlate donor and infant exposure.

Results: Thirty-six infants received 268 transfusions from 94 donors. Number of donors and transfusions were significantly correlated with birthweight and gestational age. All three metals were detected in ≥95% of donor PRBCs. Number of donors was significantly associated with cumulative dose, and there was a significant correlation between mercury and lead doses/transfusion. IVRfDs were exceeded for mercury and lead in 8.6% and 38% of transfusions, respectively. None exceeded the IVRfD for cadmium. For lead, infants exposed to three donors had more transfusions exceeding IVRfD than those exposed to 1-2 donors.

Conclusions: Preterm infants are exposed to heavy metals via transfusions. Doses exceeded the IVRfDs for mercury and lead. Cadmium did not pose a risk. Prescreening donor blood could reduce exposure risk.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0635-xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mercury lead
28
lead cadmium
20
number donors
12
red blood
8
blood cell
8
transfusions
8
preterm infants
8
donors number
8
donors transfusions
8
infants exposed
8

Similar Publications

Analysis of selected nutrients and contaminants in fish oil supplements for dogs.

Top Companion Anim Med

January 2025

Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA.

Fish oil supplements for dogs are used therapeutically for various clinical conditions. However, products may be variable in quality, potency, and stability. The objective of this study was to analyze eleven canine fish oil supplements from two time points (2010 and 2021) for the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) arochlors, minerals, and vitamins A and D, and to compare their compositions to label claims.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Prostate cancer (PC) is a common malignancy among men globally. Although genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors contribute to its development, the role of heavy metals remains unclear. This study evaluated serum levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel in PC patients compared to healthy controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Association between heavy metal exposure and bacterial vaginosis: A cross-sectional study.

PLoS One

January 2025

Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a prevalent cause of vaginal symptoms in women of reproductive age. With the widespread of heavy metal pollutants and their harmful function on women's immune and hormonal systems, it is necessary to explore the association between heavy metal exposure and BV. This study investigates the potential relationship between serum heavy metals and bacterial vaginosis in a cohort of American women.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study investigates the combined effects of environmental pollutants (lead, cadmium, total mercury) and behavioral factors (alcohol consumption, smoking) on depressive symptoms in women. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 cycle, specifically exposure levels of heavy metals in blood samples, were used in this study. The analysis of these data included the application of descriptive statistics, linear regression, and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) to explore associations between environmental exposures, behavioral factors, and depression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Distribution of potentially toxic elements in sediments of the municipal river channel (Balu), Dhaka, Bangladesh: Ecological and health risks assessment.

J Contam Hydrol

January 2025

International Joint Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Biomass Biorefinery, Biofuels Institute, School of Emergency Management, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China. Electronic address:

The concern of potential toxic elements (PTEs) contamination in the river ecosystem is growing due to anthropological activity. The contents of seven PTEs in sediments from the Balu River channel were analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and an environmental risk model. Several PTEs were found in the sediment at high levels, including zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and mercury (Hg), that might pose a risk to human and ecological health.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!