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Table 2 Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in maternal serum according to pre-pregnancy use of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) and age. Data are presented as GM (95% CI), pg/ml. Levels below LOQ replaced with LOQ/2

From: Persistent organic pollutants, pre-pregnancy use of combined oral contraceptives, age, and time-to-pregnancy in the SELMA cohort

Chemical

(n = 818)

LOQ

(pg/mL)

n (%) > LOQ

Total Cohort (n = 818)

<  29 years old

p-value*

≥ 29 years old

p-value*

Non-COC user (n = 164)

COC user (n = 173)

Non-COC user (n = 280)

COC user (n = 201)

PeCB

10

0

HCBa

10

818 (100.0)

45.12 (44.15–46.12)

39.53 (37.65–41.51)

43.79 (42.02–45.64)

0.002

46.93 (45.16–48.76)

48.84 (46.84–50.93)

0.08

α-HCH

20

1 (0.1)

10.03 (9.97–10.09)

10.14 (9.86–10.43)

β-HCH

15

315 (38.5)

11.53 (11.05–12.03)

9.97 (9.19–10.82)

10.18 (9.23–11.22)

0.89

12.42 (11.54–13.38)

13.04 (12–14.17)

0.25

γ-HCH

20

0

Oxychlordane

25

3 (0.4)

12.55 (12.49–12.6)

12.62 (12.39–12.86)

12.5 (12.5–12.5)

0.31

12.56 (12.48–12.65)

12.5 (12.5–12.5)

0.23

Transnonachlora

5

660 (80.7)

7.63 (7.28–7.99)

5.22 (4.69–5.81)

6.22 (5.68–6.81)

0.007

9.33 (8.69–10.01)

9.36 (8.56–10.24)

0.75

p,p’-DDT

15

49 (6.0)

8.15 (3.96–16.78)

8.04 (7.63–8.48)

7.98 (7.55–8.43)

0.52

8.27 (7.92–8.64)

8.22 (7.8–8.67)

0.80

p,p’-DDEa

40

816 (99.8)

184.68 (176.15–193.63)

152.19 (136.16–170.11)

172.73 (155.62–191.72)

0.03

198.45 (183.23–214.93)

207.26 (190.11–225.96)

0.33

PCB 74a

5

605 (74.0)

6.29 (6–6.59)

4.76 (4.28–5.3)

5.58 (5.06–6.15)

0.03

6.99 (6.5–7.52)

7.55 (6.89–8.27)

0.40

PCB 99a

5

665 (81.3)

7.27 (6.97–7.59)

5.59 (5.08–6.15)

6.6 (6.04–7.22)

0.01

8.09 (7.54–8.68)

8.45 (7.78–9.18)

0.58

PCB 118a

5

813 (99.4)

16.15 (15.61–16.72)

12.41 (11.54–13.35)

14.2 (13.23–15.24)

0.004

18.27 (17.28–19.32)

18.85 (17.68–20.1)

0.59

PCB 138a

5

818 (100.0)

72.01 (69.66–74.43)

56.67 (52.73–60.9)

64.81 (60.36–69.6)

0.02

80.98 (76.7–85.5)

81.4 (76.71–86.38)

0.93

PCB 153a

5

818 (100.0)

108.98 (105.4–112.68)

84.45 (78.45–90.92)

96.08 (89.38–103.29)

0.02

124.74 (118.26–131.59)

123.88 (116.85–131.33)

0.86

PCB 156a

5

739 (90.3)

10.97 (10.49–11.48)

7.91 (7.11–8.81)

9.19 (8.27–10.2)

0.03

13.32 (12.45–14.25)

12.74 (11.84–13.72)

0.49

PCB 170a

5

818 (100.0)

39.48 (38.04–40.97)

30.15 (27.74–32.77)

33.38 (30.74–36.26)

0.055

47.01 (44.39–49.79)

44.55 (41.82–47.46)

0.38

PCB 180a

5

818 (100.0)

75.3 (72.58–78.12)

56.73 (52.16–61.7)

62.28 (57.45–67.51)

0.08

91.3 (86.3–96.58)

85.41 (80.37–90.77)

0.20

PCB 183a

5

620 (75.8)

6.8 (6.5–7.12)

4.79 (4.35–5.28)

5.78 (5.27–6.35)

0.02

8.31 (7.72–8.95)

7.86 (7.21–8.56)

0.31

PCB 187a

5

802 (98.0)

17.76 (17.06–18.5)

13.07 (11.88–14.37)

14.53 (13.24–15.96)

0.07

21.97 (20.71–23.31)

20.17 (18.88–21.54)

0.06

PBDE 47

15

40 (5.0)

8.01 (7.84–8.19)

7.8 (7.55–8.05)

8.26 (7.78–8.77)

0.24

8 (7.69–8.32)

7.99 (7.66–8.33)

0.99

PBDE 99

15

10 (1.2)

7.62 (7.54–7.69)

7.5 (7.5–7.5)

7.72 (7.5–7.96)

0.05

7.57 (7.47–7.68)

7.69 (7.5–7.88)

0.21

PBDE 153

15

17 (2.1)

7.76 (4.64–12.98)

7.54 (7.47–7.61)

7.89 (7.59–8.2)

0.04

7.91 (7.59–8.24)

7.62 (7.39–7.86)

0.06

  1. aChemicals detected in more than 70% of the samples above the LOQ were included in further analyses
  2. *Based on Wilcoxon rank sum test
  3. Abbreviations: CI confidence interval, GM geometric mean, LOQ limit of quantification, PeCB pentachlorobenzene, HCB hexachlorobenzene, HCH hexachlorocyclohexane, p,p´-DDT dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, p,p´-DDE dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, PCB polychlorinated biphenyls, PBDE polybrominated diphenyl ether