Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in breast milk samples and their correlation with dietary and reproductive factors in lactating mothers in Istanbul

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to threaten the environment and human health. We have investigated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in breast milk samples. A questionnaire was also obtained from the study participants. A total of 48 healthy lactating mothers (mean age: 29.5 +/- 0.8 years) living in Istanbul volunteered to participate in this study. High-resolution analyses of several OCPs and PCB congeners were done by gas chromatography. The levels of seven major PCB congeners (28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180) and eight OCPs (alpha-benzenehexachloride, beta-benzenehexachloride, delta-benzenehexachloride, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and 2,4 '-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (2,4DDE), 4,4 '-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4DDE), 2,4 '-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (2,4DDT), and 4,4 '-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4,4DDT)) were determined. The analysis showed that the highest levels of PCBs were observed in PCB 52 (22.99 +/- 8.78 ng/g lipid), PCB 101 (12.22 +/- 7.8 ng/g lipid), PCB 28 (11.44 +/- 5.16 ng/g lipid), and PCB 153 (1.70 +/- 0.74 ng/g lipid). The highest OCPs detected were 4,4DDT (3.33 +/- 2.05 ng/g lipid) and 4,4DDE (0.86 +/- 0.39 ng/g lipid), and the lowest was observed in HCB (0.016 +/- 0.01 ng/g lipid). Our findings show that traces of PCBs and OCPs are still present in breast milk of lactating women living in Istanbul, and these pollutants decline in multipara women compared to primipara mothers. We also suggest that breast milk is a useful and representative biological tool for human biomonitoring of POPs.

Automated summary

Our study investigated the levels of PCBs and OCPs in breast milk samples of lactating women in Istanbul. The results showed that traces of these persistent organic pollutants are still present in breast milk, with lower concentrations in multipara women compared to primipara mothers. Breast milk is suggested as a useful biological tool for monitoring POPs in humans.