title: Concentrations of persistent organochlorine compounds in human milk and placenta are higher in Denmark than in Finland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A significantly reduced male reproductive health status, including a higher prevalence of cryptorchidism and hypospadias, has been documented in Danish men compared with Finnish men. Exposure to environmental pollutants with endocrine disrupting activities has been suggested as a possible contributing factor. In this study, we investigated whether there was a difference in milk and placental concentrations of persistent organohalogen compounds, between the two countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Organohalogens were analysed by high-resolution gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry in human milk samples from Finland (n = 65) and Denmark (n = 65) and in placentas from Finland (n = 112) and Denmark (n = 168).
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDE) was the dominant pollutant. beta-Hexa-chloro-cyclohexane (beta-HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), endosulfan-I, dieldrin, oxychlordane (OXC), cis-heptachloroepoxide (c-HE) and 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDT) were the other main organochlorines detected. Danish samples had significantly higher concentrations of p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, beta-HCH, HCB, dieldrin, c-HE and OXC than did the Finnish samples. Levels of organobrominated compounds were very low and most were undetectable in the majority of samples. BB-153 and BB-155 were the most abundant polybromobiphenyl congeners. BB-153 was more abundant in Danish milk samples compared with Finnish samples, whereas BB-155 was more abundant in the Finnish milk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The organochlorine levels were higher in Danish, than in Finnish, samples, suggesting a higher exposure for Danish infants.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecological Chemistry, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Heqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Katharina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Main
authors.forename: Anna-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Ida N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Damgaard
authors.forename: Helena E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: Niels E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Skakkebaek
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toppari
authors.forename: Karl-Werner
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Schramm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000032:analysis; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D008055:Lipids