title: Levels and profiles of PCDDs, PCDFs and cPCBs in Belgian breast milk. Estimation of infant intake.
abstract: Congener-specific analyses of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and non-ortho (coplanar) polychlorinated biphenyls (cPCBs) were performed on 20 non-pooled breast milk samples collected in or close to an industrial area of Wallonia (Belgium). PCDD/F concentrations ranged between 16.0 and 52.1 pg TEQ/g fat, with a mean value of 29.4 pg TEQ/g fat. If coplanar PCBs (77, 126, 169) are included in TEQ calculations, levels ranged between 22.2 and 100.2 pg TEQ/g fat, with a mean value of 40.8 pg TEQ/g fat. It appears that 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and PCB-126 account for more than 90% of the TEQ. Estimated PCDD/F dietary intake is 76 pg TEQ/kg body weight (bw)/day. This value is almost 20 times higher than the World Health Organization tolerable daily intake. A value of 103 pg TEQ/kg bw/day represents the intake of PCDDs, PCDFs and cPCBs (no mono-ortho PCBs included).
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Liege, Belgium. jf.focant@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Focant
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pirard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thielen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Pauw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls