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Multiple Environmental Exposure in Pregnant Women and Their Children in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio Birth Cohort Study: PIPA Project

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Abstract

The PIPA project is the first birth cohort study in Brazil focusing on the investigation of environmental pollutant exposure effects on child health. This program was developed in Rio de Janeiro, a highly urbanized city that encompasses a diversity of environmental and socioeconomic factors potentially harmful to human health. A pilot study was carried out between September 2017 and August 2018. This paper describes the socioeconomic environment and exposure pollutant profile of the PIPA pilot study population. The PIPA pilot study enrolled 139 pregnant women with a total of 135 (97%) births. Maternal blood (n = 139) and urine (n = 139) samples were collected between the 32nd and 38th weeks of pregnancy. Newborn umbilical cord blood (n = 125) and urine (n = 34) samples were collected at birth and during the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months of life (n = 132). Up to 75% of the study population reported a per capita income lower than US$200, 19% received governmental financial aid, and 21% were single mothers. At least 20% lived in low-income communities. Metals were observed above the limits of detection in 100% of the mother and newborn samples, while 48% and 23.5% showed detectable pyrethroid metabolite levels. Perfluoroalkyl acids were detected in approximately 80% of mother blood and urine samples and 70% of cord blood samples. At least one organochlorine compound was detected in approximately 30% of the newborn and mother samples. Pregnant women from poor communities in Rio de Janeiro and their children are exposed to several harmful pollutants.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the UFRJ Maternity School team for the broad support of the PIPA project and the study participants for their contributions.

Funding

Funding was received from the Brazilian Government: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Grant No. 409275/2018-2), Science and Technology Department (Grant No. 404168/2019-1), Surveillance Health Secretary (Grant No. 733663/19-002), and Ministry of Health and the Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Supporting Research in the State of Rio de Janeiro (Grant No. E-26/010.001894/2019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School Maternity Hospital, School of Medicine,, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Laranjeiras Street, 180, Rio de Janeiro, 22240-000, Brazil

    Carmen I. R. Fróes-Asmus, Antônio Jose Ledo A. da Cunha & Roberto Medronho

  2. Public Health Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Armando Meyer, Ronir Raggio Luiz, Thatiana V. R. de B. Fernandes & Volney de Magalhães Câmara

  3. School Maternity Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Nataly Damasceno, Luiz Eduardo Gomes & Arnaldo Prata Barbosa

  4. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, National School of Public Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Ana Cristina Simões Rosa

  5. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, National Institute of Control and Quality in Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Silvana do Couto Jacob

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  1. Carmen I. R. Fróes-Asmus
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  2. Armando Meyer
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  3. Antônio Jose Ledo A. da Cunha
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  4. Nataly Damasceno
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  8. Silvana do Couto Jacob
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  9. Arnaldo Prata Barbosa
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  12. Volney de Magalhães Câmara
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Contributions

All the authors participated in the conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of the data, drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content. All the authors approved the final version. This manuscript is original research and has not been submitted to, nor is under review at, another journal or other publishing venue.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carmen I. R. Fróes-Asmus.

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Conflict of interest

The authors do not have any competing or conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

This research involved human participants and all procedures were approved by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Maternity School Ethics Committee (reference number: 2.092.440) and the Fiocruz Foundation Ethics Committee (reference number: 2.121.397).

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All participants signed an informed consent before any procedure was performed.

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Fróes-Asmus, C.I.R., Meyer, A., da Cunha, A.J.L.A. et al. Multiple Environmental Exposure in Pregnant Women and Their Children in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio Birth Cohort Study: PIPA Project. Expo Health 13, 431–445 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-021-00394-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-021-00394-9

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