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Table 1 Characteristics of pregnant women and blood metals levels (μg/dL)

From: Geographic clustering of elevated blood heavy metal levels in pregnant women

   

Cadmium (Cd)

Mercury (Hg)

Lead (Pb)

Arsenic (As)

 

N

%

Geometric Meana

Median (IQR)

Geometric Meana

Median (IQR)

Geometric Meana

Median (IQR)

Geometric Meana

Median (IQR)

Overall

310

-

0.03

0.02 (0.01–0.04)

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.07)

0.38

0.34 (0.16–0.83)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 in Cd Cluster

25

8.1 %

0.05

0.06 (0.02–0.16)

0.02

0.02 (0.00–0.05)

0.51

0.54 (0.23–1.23)

0.05

0.05 (0.04–0.05)

 In Pb Cluster

22

7.1 %

0.04

0.03 (0.02–0.15)

0.02

0.01 (0.01–0.05)

0.42

0.39 (0.24–0.74)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

Age at Delivery

          

 18–24

98

31.6 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.07)

0.02

0.03 (0.01–0.06)

0.40

0.40 (0.16–0.94)

0.05

0.05 (0.04–0.06)

 25–34

161

51.9 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.04)

0.03

0.04 (0.01–0.08)

0.35

0.29 (0.16–0.74)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

  35+

51

16.5 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.04)

0.03

0.04 (0.02–0.07)

0.42

0.39 (0.17–1.07)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

Race/Ethnicity

          

 Black

110

35.5 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.06)

0.03

0.04 (0.01–0.07)

0.35

0.33 (0.16–0.79)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 Hispanic

98

31.6 %

0.03

0.02 (0.01–0.09)

0.02

0.03 (0.01–0.06)

0.47

0.50 (0.22–1.07)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 Other

12

3.9 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.08)

0.05

0.05 (0.03–0.13)

0.49

0.55 (0.27–1.02)

0.06

0.05 (0.04–0.10)

 White

90

29.0 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.03)

0.03

0.03 (0.02–0.08)

0.32

0.21 (0.13–0.62)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

Years of Education

          

 1–11 year

100

32.6 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.10)

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.05)

0.51

0.53 (0.23–1.01)

0.05

0.05 (0.04–0.05)

 12 years

64

20.8 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.07)

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.06)

0.34

0.29 (0.18–0.61)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 13–15 years

41

13.4 %

0.03

0.03 (0.02–0.06)

0.04

0.05 (0.02–0.08)

0.36

0.25 (0.16–0.85)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 16+ yrs

102

33.2 %

0.02

0.01 (0.01–0.03)

0.04

0.04 (0.02–0.09)

0.30

0.27 (0.12–0.64)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m2)

          

 <18.5

12

3.9 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.07)

0.04

0.04 (0.02–0.08)

0.29

0.24 (0.15–0.83)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 18.5–24.9

118

38.4 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.04)

0.03

0.04 (0.01–0.09)

0.38

0.30 (0.14–0.97)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 25–29.9

98

31.9 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.09)

0.02

0.03 (0.01–0.07)

0.40

0.43 (0.20–0.82)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 30–34.9

45

14.7 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.04)

0.03

0.04 (0.02–0.07)

0.28

0.27 (0.15–0.51)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 35+

34

11.1 %

0.02

0.03 (0.01–0.04)

0.02

0.03 (0.01–0.05)

0.50

0.40 (0.17–1.34)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

Whole Blood Folate (ug/L)

          

 low: 0–188

100

32.5 %

0.03

0.03 (0.01–0.10)

0.02

0.03 (0.01–0.06)

0.38

0.37 (0.17–0.86)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.06)

 medium: 188–263

104

33.8 %

0.03

0.02 (0.01–0.06)

0.03

0.04 (0.01–0.08)

0.43

0.36 (0.20–0.84)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 high: 263–358

104

33.8 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.03)

0.04

0.04 (0.02–0.09)

0.33

0.25 (0.14–0.72)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

Smoking Status

          

 Did not smoke during pregnancy

254

84.7 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.04)

0.03

0.04 (0.01–0.08)

0.37

0.33 (0.15–0.78)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 Smoked during pregnancy

46

15.3 %

0.05

0.04 (0.03–0.10)

0.02

0.03 (0.01–0.05)

0.38

0.30 (0.18–0.99)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.06)

Leisure Time Physical Activity

          

 No

77

25.5 %

0.03

0.02 (0.01–0.07)

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.07)

0.39

0.37 (0.18–0.85)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

 Yes

225

74.5 %

0.02

0.02 (0.01–0.04)

0.03

0.04 (0.01–0.07)

0.37

0.31 (0.16–0.82)

0.05

0.04 (0.04–0.05)

  1. aThe geometric mean was calculated using values of the limit of detection (LOD) divided by the square root of 2 when < LOD