title: Large-scale evaluation of the current level of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk from 13 regions of Japan.
abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in 2004 in 105 breast milk samples collected from 13 regions of Japan (Hokkaido, Akita, Miyagi, Tokyo, Gifu, Fukui, Kyoto, Hyogo, Wakayama, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Kochi and Okinawa). Six congeners (BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153 and BDE-154) were determined by gas chromatography /mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Total PBDE levels ranged from 0.01 to 23.0 ng/g lipid (geometric mean (GM), 1.34 ng/g lipid). BDE-47 (GM, 0.66 ng/g lipid, 59% of sigmaPBDE) was the most abundant congener present in breast milk and was detected in 99% of the samples. Total PBDE levels were higher in northern Japan than in other regions. We analyzed the effects of occupation, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption and number of deliveries on total PBDE levels. None of these factors were significantly associated with the level of PBDEs. The present study revealed that the current level of exposure to PBDEs in Japan is lower than that in the USA or Sweden. GMs (ng/g lipid) (GSD, geometric standard deviation) and medians (ng/g lipid) of PBDE levels in each district are as follows: Hokkaido 2.70 (1.70), 2.74; Akita 4.49 (2.19), 5.44; Miyagi 1.77 (4.37), 1.11; Tokyo 1.39 (2.09), 1.63, Gifu 2.83 (4.79), 2.23; Fukui 1.05 (2.34), 1.18; Kyoto 1.31 (2.95), 1.33; Hyogo 1.02 (2.69), 0.88; Wakayama 1.33 (3.80), 1.70; Shimane 0.83 (2.51), 0.66; Yamaguchi 1.74 (2.82), 1.76; Kochi 0.50 (2.69), 0.74 and Okinawa 1.91 (2.75), 1.22. This is the first large-scale study of current PBDE levels in breast milk in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eslami
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Souichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aozasa
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Tekeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshinaga
authors.forename: Chigusa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Date
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimine
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hachiya
authors.forename: Iwao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hirosawa
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koda
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kusaka
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakatsuka
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omae
authors.forename: Norimitsu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimbo
authors.forename: Katsunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Todoriki
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000032:analysis; D007564:Japan; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D010647:Phenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls