Evaluation of Fetal Exposures to Metals and Metalloids through Meconium Analyses: A Review

Stephani Michelsen-Correa, Clyde F. Martin and Andrea B. Kirk
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Stephani Michelsen-Correa: AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow Hosted by EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, Washington, DC 20004, USA
Clyde F. Martin: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Andrea B. Kirk: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: This paper surveys the existing scientific literature on metals concentrations in meconium. We examine some 32 papers that analyzed meconium for aluminum, arsenic, barium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, lead, mercury, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, lead, antimony, selenium, tin, vanadium, and zinc. Because of the lack of detail in the statistics it is not possible to do a rigorous meta-analysis. What stands out is that almost every study had subjects with seemingly large amounts of at least one of the metals. The significance of metals in meconium is not clear beyond an indication of exposure although some studies have correlated metals in meconium to a number of adverse outcomes. A number of outstanding questions have been identified that, if resolved, would greatly increase the utility of meconium analysis for assessment of long-term gestational metals exposures. Among these are questions of the developmental and long-term significance of metals detected in meconium, the kinetics and interactions among metals in maternal and fetal compartments and questions on best methods for meconium analyses.

Keywords: heavy metals; meconium; fetus; fetal exposure; biological monitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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