Occurrence of PCBs, organochlorine insecticides, tris(4-chlorophenyl)methane, and tris(4-chlorophenyl)methanol in human breast milk collected from Cambodia.
The present study determined the concentrations of persistent organochlorines (OCs) such as DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordane compounds (CHLs), tris(4-chlorophenyl)methane (TCPMe), and tris(4-chlorophenyl)methanol (TCPMOH) in human breast milk from Cambodia. DDTs, PCBs, HCHs, HCB, CHLs, and TCPMe were detected in almost all the human breast milk samples analyzed, and the concentrations ranged from 310 to 11,000, 6.0 to 87, <0.12 to 21, <0.12 to 8.1, <0.12 to 5.3, and 2.9 to 70 ng/g lipid wt, respectively. TCPMOH was detected in only 10 among 36 samples. Concentrations of DDTs in human breast milk from Cambodia were notably higher than those from developed countries and comparable to those from other developing countries, where usage of DDT for agricultural and public health purposes has been suspected to be continuing still, implying the recent usage of DDT in Cambodia. On the other hand, concentrations of PCBs, HCHs, HCB, and CHLs in human breast milk from Cambodia were 1-2 orders of magnitude less than those from other countries, indicating that Cambodia is one of the less contaminated countries by these OCs. Significant correlation between concentrations of TCPMe and DDTs in human breast milk suggested that exposure to DDT is the source of TCPMe in Cambodian residents. Concentrations of OCs in human breast milk tended to decrease with an increase in the number of children, implying that the first infant would be exposed to higher levels of OCs from breast milk and might be at higher risk by these contaminants, especially DDTs in Cambodia. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on the residue levels of OCs in human breast milk from Cambodia.
Kunisue
Tatsuya
T
Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
Someya
Masayuki
M
Monirith
In
I
Watanabe
Mafumi
M
Tana
Touch Seang
TS
Tanabe
Shinsuke
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002160:Cambodia; D003906:Developing Countries; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011634:Public Health; D014320:Triphenylmethyl Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014505:Urban Population; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007306:Insecticides; D014320:Triphenylmethyl Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C429043:tris(4-chlorophenyl)methane; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls