Short placental telomere was associated with cadmium pollution in an electronic waste recycling town in China

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 8; no. 4; p. e60815
• Main Authors: Lin, Shuiqin, Huo, Xia, Zhang, Qingying, Fan, Xiaojuan, Du, Li, Xu, Xijin, Qiu, Shaoshan, Zhang, Yuling, Wang, Yun, Gu, Jiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 02.04.2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Absorption; Aging; Atomic absorption analysis; Biology; Birth weight; Cadmium; Cadmium - toxicity; Cadmium content; Cancer; Cellular biology; China; Chromosomes; Critical point; Electronic waste; Electronic Waste - adverse effects; Electronics industry wastes; Environmental aspects; Female; Fibroblasts; Health aspects; Heavy metals; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Lead; Leukemia; Male; Nervous system; Offspring; PCB; Placenta; Placenta - drug effects; Placenta - metabolism; Pollution; Pollution effects; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Pregnancy; Questionnaires; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Recycling; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Risk factors; Spectral analysis; Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telomere - drug effects; Telomere - genetics; Telomeres; Umbilical cord; Waste disposal; China; China, People's Rep., Fujian Prov., Shantou
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060815

In Guiyu, an electronic waste recycling site near Shantou, Guangdong province, China, primitive ways of e-waste processing have caused severe cadmium and lead pollution to the local residents. However, the possible effects of cadmium or lead pollution to genomic integrity of the local residents have not been investigated. We examined the possible relationship between cadmium and lead concentrations in placenta and placental telomere length in Guiyu and compared the data with that of a non-polluted town. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and real-time PCR were used to determine placental cadmium and lead concentrations, and placental telomere length. We found that placental cadmium concentration was negatively correlated with placental telomere length (r = -0.138, p = 0.013). We also found that placental cadmium concentration of 0.0294 µg/g might be a critical point at which attrition of placental telomere commenced. No significant correlation between placental lead concentration and placental telomere length was detected (r = 0.027, p = 0.639). Our data suggest that exposure to cadmium pollution during pregnancy may be a risk factor for shortened placental telomere length that is known to be related to cancer development and aging. Furthermore, grave consequence on the offspring from pregnancies in e-waste polluted area is indicated.