Organochlorine Pesticides And Pcbs In Human Breast Milk

Abstract

One hundred and Fifty (150) samples of human breast milk (colostrums) collected from donors patronizing a postnatal center in Nigeria were analyzed for the levels of lindane, total DDT and total PCBs residues. Donors were stratified with respect to factors that may affect accumulation of these compounds such as age, previous lactation, parity, occupation, income and education status by use of questionnaire.
Analysis was performed by preliminary lipid extraction followed by partitioning on a column and finally by gas liquid chromatography equipped with an electron capture detector.
Lindane, total DDT and PCBs were detected in all samples with a concentration range of 2-16 ng/ml for lindane, 28-750 ng/ml for DDT and 16-1431 ng/ml for PCBs. The mean values were 14.12 ng/ml, 186 ng/ml and 468.62 ng/ml, respectively.
Correlation between levels of pesticides concentrated and the following parameters of age, parity and occupation were not significant. Comparison of the mean results from this study with the levels obtained from other studies in the more industrialized regions of the world showed that the residue levels in human milk in this location in Nigeria is higher than the world's average, while it is several factors less than the average obtained from some African countries.


IFE Journal of Science Vol. 9 (2) 2007 pp. 219-224