Characterization of multiple pesticide exposure in pregnant women in Brittany, France.

Background: France is one of the biggest users of pesticides in Europe and exposure to pesticides is a current concern, especially when it occurs early in life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of pregnant women in Brittany (western France) with high pesticide use.

Methods: The pesticides were selected according to agricultural practices. Forty pesticides or metabolites were measured in urine samples collected in 2004 from 296 pregnant women in Brittany. The samples were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) after a solid phase extraction (SPE) step.

Results: Twenty seven pesticides were detected: the most frequently detected were the metabolites of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides (>89%) and several herbicides (phenoxypropionic acid derivatives and fluazifop >60%). Organophosphate and pyrethroid metabolites were also quantified in highest levels with maximum values of 590 μg/l for dimethylphosphate and 5.4 μg/l for 3- phenoxybenzoic acid. For the other parent compounds, such as prochloraz, bromoxynil and procymidone, they were also detected in 10-29% of the samples.

Significance: Our results are consistent with pesticide use at the time of collection. The median concentrations of organophosphorus and pyrethroids were of the same order of magnitude as those reported in other countries. Herbicides and fungicides (fluazifop-p-butyl, bromoxynil, and prochloraz) were measured for the first time in this biomonitoring study, showing the usefulness of measuring widely used pesticides locally to improve knowledge of exposure.

Impact: The objective of this study is to assess the exposure of pregnant women in a region of Europe with high pesticide use.