New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

Environmental gadolinium levels are soaring in response to the ubiquitous use of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Most GBCAs are renally excreted and will enter water systems as anthropogenic gadolinium due to insufficient removal in wastewater treatment plants. The persistent presence of gadolinium in these water sources poses several risks, including contamination of drinking water, a phenomenon that has been documented worldwide. The toxic impact of gadolinium in drinking water remains largely unexplored, particularly in vulnerable populations, including pregnant women. This pilot study focuses on the distribution and accumulation of gadolinium in maternal and fetal tissues from the ingestion of GBCA-contaminated drinking water.

Female C57Bl/6 mice were randomized to two primary experimental groups: [1] dose response and [2] pregnancy. Group 1 was further randomized into four groups: [1.1] non-contaminated drinking water (0 ppm), serving as the control group; [1.2] GBCA-contaminated drinking water at 1 ppm GBCA; [1.3] GBCA-contaminated drinking water at 10 ppm; or [1.4] GBCA-contaminated drinking water at 100 ppm. The drinking water of the animals was dosed with the listed concentrations of linear GBCA Omniscan. Animals were exposed to contaminated drinking water for 4 weeks prior to tissue collection. Group 2 was randomized into two exposure groups: [2.1] non-contaminated drinking water at 0 ppm GBCA and [2.2] drinking water contaminated with GBCA at 10 ppm. These groupings were exposed to their respective drinking water for 1 week before the mating period. Following this period, pregnant mice were exposed to their respective drinking water groups for an additional 3 weeks, and maternal and fetal tissues were collected at embryonic day E16-18. For elemental analysis, all tested tissues were digested in nitric acid, and gadolinium concentrations were quantified using PerkinElmer NexION 5000 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with a detection limit of 0.01 ppb.

A 4-week exposure to the 10 and 100 ppm groups resulted in a trend of gadolinium accumulation in the kidneys, ovaries, uterus, and several brain regions of exposed mice. In the pregnancy groups, the trend for the 10 ppm exposure continued in the kidney, ovary, and uterus. The placenta for the 10 ppm exposure group displayed a significant accumulation of gadolinium. In addition, fetal brain from the GBCA exposure group showed increased detectable gadolinium.

Our data indicate that ingestion of GBCA-contaminated drinking water leads to the broad distribution and accumulation of gadolinium across several tissue types, including the reproductive system and brain. In addition, we demonstrate that gadolinium is transferred from the maternal circulation into the placenta and subsequently fetal tissues. This provides a foundational understanding of gadolinium bioaccumulation from drinking water and warrants further studies to elucidate the implications of anthropogenic gadolinium exposure on maternal and fetal health.

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