Presence of persistent and non-persistent contaminants in menstrual blood and its relation to uterine bleeding patterns

Thousands of chemicals exogenous to the human body are present in the environment and may pose a risk to human health. Organochlorine pesticides are one of the most important groups due to their lipophilic nature and elevated persistence in the environment and in organisms, endowing them with a major potential to bioaccumulate in living organisms and biomagnify up the food chain. Other compounds, such as parabens, do not appear to accumulate in human body, but their high prevalence in the environment ensures daily exposure. Some of these substances behave as endocrine disruptors (EDs), interfering with synthesis patterns and sex hormone regulation. The aim of this study was to quantify exposure to persistent (POPs) and non-persistent (parabens) environmental pollutants by measuring their levels in menstrual blood and to explore their relationship with changes in menstrual bleeding patterns. We developed an analytical methodology to quantify the concentrations of these compounds in menstrual blood. Our findings indicate that the methodology is feasible and reproducible. Preliminary results show positivity for parabens in all tested samples.
Universidad de Granada. Departamento de Radiología y Medicina Física. Máster en Avances en Radiología Diagnóstica y Terapéutica y Medicina Física. Curso académico 2013-2014