Mixtures of persistent organic pollutants are found in vital organs of late gestation human fetuses

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are industrial chemicals with long half-lives. Early life exposure to POPs has been associated adverse effects. Fetal is typically estimated based on concentrations in maternal serum or placenta and little known the actual fetal exposure. We measured of nine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), ten polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners by gas chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry serum, placenta, tissues (adipose tissue, liver, heart, lung brain) 20 pregnancies that ended stillbirth (gestational weeks 36–41). The data were combined our earlier perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) same cohort (Mamsen et al. 2019). HCB, p,p’-DDE, PCB 138 153 quantified all samples tissues. All 22 detected adipose tissue samples, even cases where they could not be placenta. Tissue:serum ratios significantly higher later gestations, male fetuses, normal placental function. OCPs showed highest tissue:serum PFAS lowest. chemical burden was found lowest brain. Overall, studied human fetuses intrinsically exposed mixtures POPs. modified gestational age, sex Importantly, more compared implying these proxy may provide a misleading picture exposures.