Transplacental transfer of organochlorine pesticides: Concentration ratio and chiral properties

Currently, there is limited information about the mechanism of the human transplacental transfer for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). This study aimed to evaluate the transplacental transfer of OCPs to better understand the influencing factors of exposure and transplacental efficiency. The study involved quantitative determination of OCPs and the enantiomer fraction (EF) of chiral OCPs in pregnant women from Wuhan, China. The results indicate that the exposure levels of OCPs varied in the order: maternal serum > cord serum > placenta. Chiral contaminants, such as α-HCH, o,p′-DDD and o,p′-DDT, were non-racemic in the three biological matrices, wherein EFα-HCH placenta.•Chiral contaminants were non-racemic in all three biological matrices.•OCPs have different transport efficiency related to the physicochemical properties.•Enantiomeric selective transfer observed for α-HCH.•Placenta seems to be a more efficient barrier for β-HCH than for p,p′-DDE.