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Persistent organic pollutants in hospitalized individuals in the municipality of Petropolis, Brazil

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Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are highly lipophilic and can accumulate and biomagnify in food chains. Characterized as a public health problem, exposure to these compounds enables the development of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. The objective of this study was to estimate the plasma levels of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in 151 samples (97 women; 54 men) in hospitalized individuals in Petropolis, Brazil. Individuals over 18 years of age and residing for at least 2 years in the mountainous region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, participated in a cross-sectional study. Interviews using a structured questionnaire and blood samples to estimate plasma levels of persistent organic pollutants provided data. Gas chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry provided the levels of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs. Compared to data present in the literature, the concentration of POPs was lower, and individuals from 55 to 64 years of age (3.28 ng mL−1) and women (2.52 ng mL−1) presented a higher average concentration of organochlorine pesticides; men (0.05 ng mL−1) also presented a high concentration of PCBs. This is the first Brazilian study to estimate the concentration of several POPs in a hospital-based sample that includes men and women, thus contributing to the characterization of our population regarding environmental exposures relevant to health.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, LMR. The data are not publicly available due to restrictions, e.g., containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the patients of the Alcides Carneiro Municipal Hospital.

Funding

This work was supported by the Foundation for Research Support of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ—Proces nº 110.287/2014) and the National School of Public Health (ENSP—Research Support grant 2016–2018).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National School of Public Health (Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública - ENSP), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21041-210, Brazil

    Louise Moura de Rezende, Sabrina da Silva Santos & Gina Torres Rego Monteiro

  2. Center for the Study of Worker’s Health and Human Ecology (Centro de Estudos da Saúde Do Trabalhador E Ecologia Humana - CESTEH), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Ana Cristina Simões Rosa

Authors
  1. Louise Moura de Rezende
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  2. Ana Cristina Simões Rosa
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  3. Sabrina da Silva Santos
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  4. Gina Torres Rego Monteiro
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Contributions

Louise: acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data for the work, and paper elaboration. Sabrina: substantial contributions to the design and design of the work, analysis and interpretation of data to the work, besides the preparation and review of the work. Gina: conception and design of the work; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data for the work; and preparation and review of the work. Ana Cristina: contributions in the analysis and interpretation of data for the work, besides the preparation and review of the work. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript to be published and agreed to be responsible for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gina Torres Rego Monteiro.

Ethics declarations

Ethical aspects

The procedures of this project followed the recommendations of Resolution No. 466/12 of the National Health Council. This project received the approval of the Research Ethics Committees of the Public Health National School (ENSP – Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública) (CAAE: 31126514.0.0000.5240) and the Alcides Carneiro Municipal Hospital.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Lotfi Aleya

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de Rezende, L.M., Rosa, A.C.S., da Silva Santos, S. et al. Persistent organic pollutants in hospitalized individuals in the municipality of Petropolis, Brazil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 49644–49651 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25696-0

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