title: Toxic metals in breast milk samples from Ankara, Turkey: assessment of lead, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic levels.
abstract: Toxic metals are one of the significant groups of chemical contaminants that humans are exposed to by oral, inhalation, and dermal routes. Exposure to these chemicals begins with intrauterine life and continues during lactation period at the first years of life. Breastfeeding has a much more special place than other nutrition options for infants. However, when possibility of contaminant transfer by breast milk is considered, its safety and quality is essential. Regarding infant and mother health and limited number of information on this field in Turkey, measuring contamination levels in breast milk is important. Therefore, in the present study, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As) levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry in 64 breast milk samples obtained from mothers from Ankara, Turkey. Pb and Ni levels in breast milk samples were found to be 391.45±269.01 μg/l and 43.94±33.82 μg/l (mean ± SD), respectively. Cd was found only in one of 64 samples, and the level was 4.62 μg/l. As level was below the limit of quantification (LOQ, 7.6 μg/l) in all samples. These findings will accurately direct strategies and solutions of protection against contaminants in order to reduce their levels in biological fluids.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Hacettepe University, 06100 Ankara, Turkey. Aylingurbay@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gürbay
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Charehsaz
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eken
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sayal
authors.forename: Gözde
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Girgin
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yurdakök
authors.forename: Şule
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Yiğit
authors.forename: Dilek Demir
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Şahin
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydın
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D009532:Nickel; D001151:Arsenic