Phthalate esters in human milk: concentration variations over a 6-month postpartum time

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Human Lactation Studies

Background:

• Phthalate esters are widely used plasticizers with potential endocrine-disrupting properties.
• Human milk is a critical source of nutrition for infants, but can also be a route of exposure to environmental contaminants.
• Understanding phthalate levels in human milk is crucial for assessing infant health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify phthalate ester levels in human milk samples.
• To investigate the fluctuation of phthalate concentrations over a 6-month postpartum period.
• To estimate the daily intake of phthalates by breast-fed infants.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 86 human milk samples from 21 mothers over 6 months postpartum.
• Quantification of phthalate esters using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
• Calculation of estimated daily intake for infants based on milk consumption and phthalate levels.

Main Results:

• Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the most abundant phthalate, with a mean of 222 ng/g.
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and Diethyl phthalate (DEP) were found at lower concentrations.
• Phthalate levels showed fluctuations over the 6-month period, with weak correlations to milk lipid content.

Conclusions:

• Human milk contains detectable levels of phthalate esters, with DEHP being predominant.
• Fluctuating levels necessitate multiple sample collections for accurate exposure assessment.
• Breast-fed infants may be exposed to significant levels of DEHP, warranting further health risk evaluation.