A higher socioeconomic position is associated to greater exposure to several environmental chemical contaminants –such as various per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), mercury and arsenic– during pregnancy and childhood.
A higher socioeconomic position is associated to greater exposure to several environmental chemical contaminants –such as various per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), mercury and arsenic– during pregnancy and childhood. This is the conclusion reached by a new European study carried out by the Barcelona Institute of Global Heath (ISGlobal), a centre supported by ”la Caixa”, which has described the relationship between the socioeconomic position of 1,300 pregnant women and their children of aged 6 to 12 years and exposure to 41 environmental contaminants.
To date, several studies have shown that there is a relationship between socioeconomicposition–income, social status, employment and education– and the level of exposure to a number of environmental risks, but with varying results: some support while others contradict the traditional hypothesis that disadvantaged groups are at highest risk. For example, another study by ISGlobal showed that the socioeconomic level of pregnant women determines the environmental risk they are exposed to, but the nature of the relationship varies according to the urban environment where they live.
The new research, which is part of the HELIX Project, has been carried out using birth cohorts from six European countries –Spain, France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway and the United Kingdom–. Researchers collected urine and blood samples from the pregnant women and their children to find mean concentrations of biomarkers of the chemical contaminants. Additionally, the mothers completed questionnaires on their education, employment and family affluence level.
Read more at Barcelona Institute of Global Heath (ISGlobal)
