IN UTERO EXPOSURE TO CADMIUM POLLUTION IN CAIRO AND GIZA
GOVERNORATES OF EGYPT
Mokhtar G1. Hossny E1, El-Awady M2,
Zekry M.
1 Department of
Pediatrics, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
2 Department of
Community Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo,
Egypt
Objective: We sought
to investigate the possibility of inutero exposure to environmental
pollution with cadmium (Cd) in Cairo and Giza governorates of Egypt.
Methods: Serum Cd was
estimated by atomic absorption spectrometry in a consecutive sample of 100
mother-infant pairs at delivery using venous blood samples from the mothers
and cord blood samples from their neonates.
Results: The serum Cd
levels in the mothers ranged between 0.4 and 2.2 μg/L (mean 0.73+0.3μg/L). The corresponding infant cord blood values
ranged from 0.2 up to 1.5μg/l
(mean 0.66+0.2μg/L).
The individual concentrations of the cord blood Cd were about 70% of those
of the maternal serum in most pairs. Serum Cd concentrations were
significantly higher in mothers exposed to passive tobacco smoking as well
as in their newly born babies. The apgar scores at 5 minutes were
negatively correlated to the cord blood Cd levels. The Cd levels did not
differ in between subjects from Cairo and Giza or according to the
residential classification into urban, suburban or rural.
Conclusion: In utero
exposure to Cd was evident in our series and we recommend studies on its
long term effects. Wider scale studies on the exposure of other age groups
in various locations of Egypt are also indicated.