Concentrations of persistent organochlorine compounds in human milk and placenta are higher in Denmark than in Finland.
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.
Shen
Heqing
H
Institute of Ecological Chemistry, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
Main
Katharina M
KM
Andersson
Anna-Maria
AM
Damgaard
Ida N
IN
Virtanen
Helena E
HE
Skakkebaek
Niels E
NE
Toppari
Jorma
J
Schramm
Karl-Werner
KW
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*
D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D008055:Lipids