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Persistent organochlorine pollutants and menstrual cycle characteristics
Germaine M Buck Louis1, Lisbeth Iglesias Rios, Alexander McLain
1Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. louisg@mail.nih.gov
Chemosphere
|October 25, 2011
Summary
Persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) can alter menstrual cycles. This study found specific POPs were associated with changes in menstrual cycle length and bleeding duration in women trying to conceive.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Reproductive Epidemiology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Growing evidence links persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) to adverse reproductive outcomes.
- Prospective longitudinal studies on POPs and menstrual cycle characteristics are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively assess the relationship between exposure to a mixture of POPs and menstrual cycle length and duration of bleeding.
- To investigate the impact of specific POPs on female fecundity.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 83 women attempting pregnancy provided blood samples for POP quantification and completed daily menstrual diaries.
- Gas chromatography and enzymatic methods were used for chemical and lipid quantification.
- A linear regression model with a mixture distribution analyzed associations, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Higher exposure to estrogenic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was linked to a significant 3-day increase in cycle length.
- Increased exposure to aromatic fungicides correlated with a significant reduction in bleeding duration (less than 1 day).
Conclusions:
- Specific persistent organochlorine pollutants are associated with alterations in menstrual cycle characteristics.
- Assessing chemical mixtures is crucial for understanding impacts on female fecundity.
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