title: Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in breast milk correlated to maternal age, education level, and occupational exposure.
abstract: The aim of the present study is to determine whether levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in breast milk in the general population are associated with demographic parameters, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, and occupational exposure. Forty-six participants are randomly selected from healthy women recruited between April 2007 and April 2008 from local hospitals in southern Taiwan. Thirty PBDE isomers in breast milk are analyzed using a gas chromatograph with a high resolution mass spectrometer. The mean+/-standard deviation of Sigma PBDEs in breast milk is 3.59+/-1.07 ng/g lipid. Our current value of Sigma PBDEs in breast milk is 0.7-fold lower compared to the past value in our previous study between 2000 and 2001. Higher levels of Sigma PBDEs might be significantly associated with older maternal age and maternal age of the present study is between 22 and 42 years old. Levels of Sigma PBDEs and certain PBDEs in breast milk are not correlated with maternal pre-pregnant BMI (Body mass index), parity, and lipid contents of breast milk. The Sigma PBDEs level in breast milk is lower in more educated women after controlling for age and pre-pregnancy BMI in our subjects. The main factors associated with Sigma PBDEs in breast milk are age and education level among the binary variables of demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle characteristics in this report. The exploratory relationships are found between PBDEs in breast milk and age, education level, or occupational exposure due to small sampling size.
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine and Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, Douliou, Yunlin 64043, Taiwan.
authors.forename: H Albert
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Solomon Chih-Cheng
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ching-Mine
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Teck-Wai
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Gou-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Chang-Chien
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Show-Lian
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Cherng-Gueih
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Shy
authors.forename: Fu-An
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: How-Ran
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Chao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004522:Educational Status; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008423:Maternal Age; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011247:Pregnancy; D012923:Social Class; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D008055:Lipids