Signature tracing of PCBs congeners in breastmilk of mothers living in selected urban centers of Pakistan

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are banned toxic contaminants according to the Stockholm Convention of persistent pollutants (2001); however, they continue to be prevalent in the environment of Pakistan. The current study evaluates the risk to infants exposed to PCBs in breast milk from urban centers of Pakistan. The n-ary sumation 14PCB concentrations ranged from ND to 118.36 ng/g lipid weight (l.w.) with a mean of 11.76. +/- 4.88 ng/g l.w. These levels are greater than concentrations previously reported from Asia. The quantified PCB profile was also significantly (p < .05) related to the age of the mother while a negative correlation was observed with diet pattern (-0.26), fat content (-0.63), number of children (-0.185), and lactation (-0.19). There were significant differences among test locations with greater bioaccumulation observed in breast milk collected from urbanized Rawalpindi compared to less urbanized Jhang. The calculated estimated daily intakes of dioxin-like PCBs for infants were considerably higher than the recommended daily intake suggested by different organizations. The calculated hazard ratio (HR > 1) indicates health risks to infants in selected study regions.

Automated summary

This study evaluates the risk of infants exposed to PCBs in breast milk in urban centers of Pakistan. The findings show higher concentrations of PCBs compared to previous reports from Asia, and their levels are related to factors such as the age and diet pattern of the mother. There are significant differences among test locations, with higher bioaccumulation observed in more urbanized areas. The estimated daily intakes of PCBs for infants exceed recommended values, indicating health risks in these study regions.