J Appl Biomed 22:12-22, 2024 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2024.004

Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and growth parameters

Radim J. Šrám^{1, 3, †}, Ivo Solanský¹, Anna Pastorková¹, Miloš Velemínský, Jr.^{2, 3}, Miloš Velemínský³, Kateřina Hoňková¹, Hana Barošová^{1, *}, Jana Schmuczerová⁴, Kateřina Urbancová⁵, Darina Dvořáková⁵, Jana Pulkrabová⁵

¹ Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic

² Hospital České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

³ University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

⁴ L. Pasteur University Hospital, Department of Medical Genetics, Košice, Slovak Republic

⁵ University of Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic

^† deceased 2022-10-29

Background and objectives: It has long been known that airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can negatively affect pregnancy and birth outcomes, such as birth weight, fetal development, and placental growth factors. However, similar studies yield divergent results. Our goal was to estimate the amount of monohydroxylated PAH (OH-PAH) metabolites in the urine of pregnant women/mothers and their newborns in relation to birth outcomes, such as placenta weight, Apgar 5', and the growth parameters of children up to the age of two.

Methods: Two cohorts of children born in 2013 and 2014 during the summer and winter seasons in the Czech Republic in the cities Karviná (N = 144) and České Budějovice (N = 198), which differ significantly in the level of air pollution, were studied. PAH exposure was assessed by the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in the air and the concentration of 11 OH-PAH metabolites in the urine of newborns and mothers. Growth parameters and birth outcomes were obtained from medical questionnaires after birth and from pediatric questionnaires during the following 24 months of the child's life.

Results: Concentrations of B[a]P were significantly higher in Karviná (p < 0.001). OH-PAH metabolites were significantly higher in the mothers' as well as in the newborns' urine in Karviná and during the winter season. Neonatal length was shorter in newborns in Karviná (p < 0.001), but this difference evened out during the next 3 to 24 months. Compared to České Budějovice, newborns in Karviná showed significantly lower weight gain between birth and three months after delivery. The OH-PAH metabolites in mothers' or newborns' urine did not affect birth weight. The presence of seven OH-PAH (top 25% of values of concentrations higher than the median) metabolites in the newborns' urine is associated with decreased length of newborn. Nine OH-PAH metabolites decreased placenta weight, which was the most significant, while seven OH-PAH metabolites decreased Apgar 5'.

Conclusion: We have shown a possible connection between higher concentration of OH-PAH metabolites in newborns' urine and decreased length, head circumference, placenta weight, and Apgar 5', but not birth weight.

Keywords: Birth length; Birth weight; Growth parameters; Head circumference; Monohydroxylated PAH metabolites; Placenta weight; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Grants and funding:

This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 733032 (HBM4EU) and by the European Regional Development Fund under Grant Healthy Aging in Industrial Environment HAIE (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0 000798). The personal costs of Kateřina Hoňková and Hana Barošová were supported by Czech Academy of Sciences (Support of Perspective Human Resources).

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: August 15, 2023; Revised: January 31, 2024; Accepted: March 6, 2024; Prepublished online: March 13, 2024; Published: March 15, 2024  Show citation