Lili Farhang, MPH¹, June M. Weintraub, ScD¹, Myrto Petreas, PhD², Brenda Eskenazi, PhD³, and Rajiv Bhatia, MD, MPH¹. (1) Environmental Health Section, San Francisco Department of Public Health, 1390 Market St., Suite 822, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-252-3973, June.Weintraub@sfdph.org, (2) Hazardous Materials Laboratory, CA Dept. of Toxic Substances Control, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, (3) Center for Children's Environmental Health Research, University of California, Berkeley, 2150 Shattuck Ave, Suite 600, Berkeley, CA 94720-7380

Objective: The pesticide 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2’-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), and its persistent metabolite DDE, have been associated with negative reproductive outcomes in birds, rabbits and sea lions. However, there are inconsistencies regarding exposure to DDT/DDE and human health effects. This study evaluated the effects of DDT and DDE on three adverse human birth outcomes – preterm delivery, small-for-gestational-age birth and low birthweight. Design: We selected 420 male subjects from the Child Health and Development Studies, a longitudinal cohort study of 20,754 pregnancies among Bay Area women from 1959-1967 (a period of high domestic DDT usage), to examine the effects of organochlorine pesticides on reproductive birth outcomes. Birth outcome data and maternal demographic/behavioral data were collected through interviews and medical records. DDT and DDE were measured from available stored maternal serum. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression for preterm delivery and small-for-gestational age birth and linear regression for birthweight. Results: Mean serum levels for DDT and DDE were 1.6 and 5.8 µg/g lipid, respectively. Preliminary findings indicate that maternal DDT and DDE levels, controlling for demographic and behavioral variables typically associated with birth outcomes do not predict preterm delivery (n = 33); small-for-gestational age birth (n = 41), or low birthweight (n = 19). Conclusions: The effect of DDT and DDE on human birth outcomes in this study appears null. However, given the small study size, the persistence of DDT in the environment and its continuing role in malaria control, further studies using more robust data should continue to assess this relationship.

Learning Objectives:

• 3. Identify potential relationships between DDT, DDE and birth outcomes.
  6. Describe the effects of DDT and DDE on birth outcomes in this study.
  9. Identify difficulties in measuring the effect of DDT exposure on birth outcomes.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I am an employee of the San Francisco Department of Public Health