Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in primipara breast milk from Taiwan: estimation of dioxins and furans intake for breastfed infants.
Postnatal exposure to dioxins in breastfed infants occurs mainly during breast-feeding. The exposure to a substantial amount of endocrine disruptors in the early days of life may cause long-term health effects. Test subjects were healthy and primiparous mothers with a mean age of 28 (S.D. = 3.8) in 2001. The PCDD/F congeners were analyzed in the breast milk using gas chromatograph/high resolution mass spectrometry. The mean level of PCDD/Fs was 7.4 pg-WHO-TEQ/g lipid, which is significantly lower than the level found in individuals from other countries. The total PCDD WHO-TEQ levels in breast milk had a significant positive association with maternal age and a slightly negative association with perinatal BMI (body mass index of the period before and after the delivery). The estimated daily intake of 10.5 pg-WHO-TEQ/kg/day from individual breast milk was predicted for a breastfed infant at 6 months of age with proper assumption of 8 kg body weight, 854 milk per day of consumption, 95% of dioxin absorption rate, and linear decline of dioxin during lactation. Based on the lower WHO-TEQ levels in the breast milk, breast-feeding should still be encouraged and continued in Taiwan.
Chao
How-Ran
HR
Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institute, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
Wang
Shu-Li
SL
Su
Pen-Hua
PH
Yu
Hui-Yen
HY
Yu
Sheng-Tsung
ST
Päpke
Olaf
O
D000328:Adult; D001208:Asia; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D010298:Parity; D013624:Taiwan; D014944:World Health Organization
D001572:Benzofurans; D004147:Dioxins; C023614:dibenzofuran; C020887:dibenzo(1,4)dioxin