Dioxins/furans and PCBs in Canadian human milk: 2008-2011

Human milk was collected between 2008 and 2011 as part of the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study that was initiated to establish Canadian national estimates of maternal and infant exposure to a broad suite of environmental contaminants (e.g., persistent organic pollutants [POPs], trace elements, phthalates, etc.). Among the 1017 human milk samples collected, 298 were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). World Health Organization (WHO) toxic equivalency concentrations (WHO TEQ(2005)) for PCDD/F + dioxin-like (DL) PCB ranged from 2.2 pg TEQ(2005) g(-1) lipid to 27 pg TEQ(2005) g(-1) lipid. The relative contribution of PCDDs to the overall WHO TEQ(2005) (PCDD/F + DL PCB) has decreased from earlier investigations into POP levels in Canadian human milk. Significantly higher PCB concentrations were observed in milk from women born in Europe relative to those born in Canada (p < 0.001), in contrast to results for the PCDD/Fs (p = 0.496). Age was found to significantly impact milk Sigma PCB concentrations (p = 0.018), with elevated concentrations observed in milk from women > 30 years relative to those < 30 years of age. While this trend was also observed for the PCDD/Fs, this relationship was impacted by parity. WHO TEQ(2005) concentrations were significantly higher in milk from primiparous women (p = 0.019) and those > 30 years relative to those < 30 years of age (p < 0.001). No significant differences were associatedwith education level or pre-pregnancy bodymass index. PCB and PCDD/F concentrations have continued to decline in Canadian human milk since the last sampling of human milk was performed. Crown Copyright (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.