Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development

  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 10
  • Issue: 10

Concentrations of Lead, Cadmium and Mercury in Cord Blood and Prematurity in the Sidi Bel Abbes Region (West of Algeria)

  • Author:
  • Bouhadiba Hadjer1, DEMMOUCHE Abbassia2,, Menadi Norreddine3, Mai Hichem3, Ferrag Dalila1, Zine Charaf Khalloua1, Bekhadda Hadjer1
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 1647 to 1653

1Phd Student, Biotoxicology Laboratory, Djillali Liabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

2Professor in Biology, DjillaliLiabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

3Doctor in Biology, Biotoxicology Laboratory Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life, DjillaliLiabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

Abstract

Exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury during pregnancy carries a great risk to the mother as well as the fetus.

Lead, cadmium and mercury were measured in umbilical cord blood samples of 3 groups women (30 women's for lead, 30 cadmium and 10 from mercury) in maternity of Sidi Bel Abbes region in Algeria between 2016 and 2017. The objective of this study was to measure in the blood of the umbilical cord the concentration of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd), and to evaluate the relationship between these levels and prematurity. The lead, cadmium and mercury levels were measured by atomic absorption.

The study showed obvious variations in, maternal characteristics. The results revealed several factors predisposing to prematurity. The mean concentrations of cord blood lead, cadmium and mercury were; 18.97 μg/L, 0.26 μg/L, and6.20 nmol/L, respectively. There was a highly significant direct correlation between cord lead concentrations and gestational age(r=0.43; P = 0.017), and we found that gestational age and birth weight inversely correlated with cord mercury concentration (r=0.44 and r=0.57 respectively). No correlation was observed between cord cadmium concentrations and gestational age.

This study has shown that pregnant women in this region were exposed to high levels for heavy metalswhich need an intervention.

Keywords

Lead. Cadmium, Mercury, Pregnancy, Prematurity, Fetal exposure, Algeria