Developmental dental defects in children who reside by a river polluted by dioxins and furans

The authors determined that demarcated hypomineralizations of developing teeth are a biological indicator of an early dioxin exposure in a healthy population of children. In the current study, the authors examined the prevalences of the demarcated hypomineralization lesions of teeth in 2 Finnish towns by the Kymijoki River--a river that is severely contaminated by dioxins and furans. The 4,120 permanent first molars of 1,030 children were studied. The prevailing levels of dioxins and furans in human milk were measured. The prevalences of the defects in children in Kotka and Anjalankoski were 14.2% and 5.6%, respectively, and the corresponding dioxins and furans in human milk were 13.4 pg/gm fat and 10.9 pg/gm fat (International Toxic Equivalents). In Anjalankoski, the duration of total breast-feeding was associated with the prevalence of the defects. Compared with the figures reported earlier in Finland, neither the prevalence of dental lesions nor the levels of dioxins and furans in human milk were increased in riverside residents.