Page 88 - JCTR-11-2

Journal of Clinical and
Translational Research Crude oil pollutants in Southern Nigeria

Table 5 compares thyroid hormone levels in cord maintenance have been recognized as contributors to
blood from prenatally exposed and unexposed newborns a significant proportion of oil spills in most crude oil-
to crude oil toxicants. Prenatally exposed newborns had producing communities. 25,26
significantly reduced mean cord blood TSH (p<0.027), but Reduced anthropometric measurements at birth have
significantly greater T3 (p<0.045) and T4 (p<0.001) levels been linked to lower IQ levels, diminished cognitive
compared to unexposed infants. abilities, and subpar academic performance during
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4. Discussion childhood. However, the precise mechanisms by which
crude oil toxicant exposure affects embryonic development
Prenatal environmental exposure to crude oil contaminants are not fully understood. Fetal toxicity associated with
may adversely impact the health of pregnant women and PAHs can be attributed to various factors, including their
unborn babies. The specific mechanisms may be linked anti-estrogenic properties, which arise from their capacity
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to the consumption of contaminated foods, water, dermal to bind to human aryl-hydrocarbon receptors, thereby
contact, and ambient air pollution. In this study, the stimulating the production of P450 enzymes. In addition,
effect of antepartum environmental exposure to crude oil inadequate detoxification processes, compromised
toxicants on recumbent length, weight at delivery, head DNA repair mechanisms, and elevated rates of cellular
circumference, PI at birth, and thyroid hormone was proliferation contribute to the heightened susceptibility of
investigated. fetuses and infants to environmental pollutants compared
Data from this study indicated that the selected to adults. Furthermore, the central nervous system is
newborn health indicators (recumbent length, head especially at risk during prenatal development, as PAHs
circumference, and PI) were significantly lower among can easily traverse the placental barrier. 21-24 Cell membrane
prenatally exposed newborns compared to unexposed dysfunction, defective enzyme systems, or inhibition
infants. These observations did not agree with previous of uteroplacental blood flow can cause cell death in the
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studies, 6,19-21 as there was no observed association between endothelium and syncytiotrophoblast cells. In addition,
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antenatal PAH exposure and statistically significant PAHs may generate oxidative stress, decrease placenta
adverse effects on measured anthropometric indicators cell multiplication, and cause fetal growth retardation in
(recumbent length, head circumference, and birth weight) prenatally exposed newborn babies.
of PAH-exposed infants. However, the observed insignificant change in the

Our findings agreed with those of Perera et al., infant birth weight was consistent with that of Dehghani
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6
who observed that PAH-DNA adduct compounds were et al. An insignificant association was observed between
linked to a 3% decrease in head circumference. Perera antenatal exposure to PAH compound and newborn
et al. observed a notable reduction in newborn height weight reduction following regression analysis.
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and head circumference in a different study, and they The PI has been used widely in neonatology as a measure
linked this to exposure to environmental PAHs and the of fetal growth status, particularly to establish the symmetry
transplacental transfer of contaminants. The disparity of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Evidence has
between previous literature and the present study may be demonstrated the impact of changed PI on short-term
attributable to changes in exposure conditions and levels perinatal outcomes of acidosis, rise in perinatal mortality,
between various study sites, unique vulnerability to these and adverse neurological outcomes. It is also an indicator
toxicants in different populations, and differences in of long-term impact on the BMI of young males, glucose
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exposure pathways. In the crude oil-producing region of tolerance in children, blood pressure and coronary heart
Nigeria, illegal or secret oil refining and ineffective pipeline disease in adults, and the age of menopause in women.
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In children with IUGR, the build-up of adipose tissue and
Table 5. Comparison of cord blood thyroid hormone levels muscle mass becomes smaller, resulting in a decreased PI.
in prenatally exposed newborns (n=50) and unexposed When birth weight is added to birth length, it can be used
newborns (n=30) to crude oil pollution to differentiate between lean body weight and long babies

Parameters Prenatally Prenatally p (low PI) and fat body weight and short babies high PI. 14
exposed neonates unexposed neonates From this study, it was observed that the thyroid gland
TSH (mIU\L) 2.11±0.09 4.22±0.01 0.027 function was suppressed in mothers residing in crude oil-
T3 (ng\dL) 1.57±0.03 1.44±0.80 0.045 bearing communities compared to those living in non-
T4 (µg\gL) 11.22±0.05 8.05±0.07 0.001 crude oil-bearing communities. This observation aligns
Abbreviations: TSH: Thyroid-stimulating hormone; with the results obtained from research conducted on
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T3: Triiodothyronine; T4: Thyroxine. animals. Zebrafish exposed to water contaminated with

Volume 11 Issue 2 (2025) 82 doi: 10.36922/jctr.24.00083