Levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in human milk from populations in Madrid and Paris
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Madrid (Spain); and others
Human breast milk represents a good substrate to examine the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) background contamination of a population and also supplies important information about the exposure risk for nursing infants. Although adipose tissue and blood samples are commonly studied in the literature milk Dioxin levels are more specifically of concern because of the facility of sampling and also the potential health damage which may be caused to the breastfed babies by those highly toxic synthetic chemicals. The occurrence of dioxins in mother milk among the general population in all countries studied until now, has confirmed a widespread pollution and intake of those compounds. Dietary and other sources such as contaminated chemicals, industrial activity, waste combustion and leaded car gasoline may be responsible for such a contamination, and also for the differences among levels found in different countries. Human contamination by PCDDs and PCDFs from the environment is clearly a multisource problem. Human milk as well as other human fluids studies up to know have only found the presence of 2,3,7,8 substituted PCDD or PCDF congeners present. The reason for this congener specific retention is usually explained by the metabolic conversion on the 2,3,7, and 8 lateral positions in combination with high binding affinities for the cytosolic receptor proteins.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 223887
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 56, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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