Organochlorine compoundes in perinatal blood samples ; maternal and neonatal measurements at Siriraj Hospital.

Seventy four percent of 50 normal term pregnant woman, delivered at labour room Siriraj Hospital during August to October 1993, were found to be contaminated by organochlorine compounds in their blood samples. The main contaminants were p,p’ –DDE, α –BHC, heptachlor, γ –BHC, dieldrin, p,p’ –DDT, o,p’ – DDE and hepta-opex. The mean blood level were 10.15, 1.21, 1.61, 0.80, 6.95, 3.56, 1.03 and 1.47 ppb respectively. The main contaminants, found in 54 percent of the newborns, were α –BHC, p,p’ –DDE and dieldrin and the mean blood level were 0.62, 5.05 and 1.24 ppb respectively. However, the contaminants found were below the acute toxic level in both groups.