title: Health risks in infants associated with exposure to perfluorinated compounds in human breast milk from Zhoushan, China.
abstract: Recent studies have reported the ubiquitous distribution of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), especially perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in wildlife and human whole blood or serum. In 2003 a solid phase extraction method was developed, which allowed the measurement of PFCs in human breast milk. In the present study, PFCs in samples of human breast milk from 19 individuals from Zhoushan, China, were analyzed by modifying a previously established method, based on weak-anion exchange extraction. PFOS and PFOA were the two dominant chemicals detected in all the milk samples. Concentrations of PFOS and PFOA ranged from 45 to 360 ng/L and 47 to 210 ng/L, respectively. The maximum concentrations of other PFCs were 100 ng/L for perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), 62 ng/L for perfluorononanoate (PFNA), 15 ng/L for perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) and 56 ng/L for perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnDA). Statistically significant correlations between various PFCs suggested a common exposure source to humans. No statistically significant correlation was found between concentrations of either PFOS or PFOA and maternal age, weight, or infant weight. Rate of consumption of fish was found to be positively correlated with PFNA, PFDA, and PFUnDA concentrations. Daily intake of PFOS for the child via breast milk with greater PFOS concentrations exceeded the predicted conservative reference dose in 1 of 19 samples, indicating that there may be a small potential risk of PFOS for the infants in Zhoushan via the consumption of breast milk.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: Man Ka
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Nobuyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Sachi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniyasu
authors.forename: Qinting
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Paul Kwan Sing
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D002210:Caprylates / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D011786:Quality Control; D012306:Risk; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002210:Caprylates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid