Human colostrum as a source of organohalogen xenobiotics for a breast-fed neonate

The concentrations of p,p'-isomers of DDT, DDE, and DDD, and alpha, beta, and gamma isomers of hexachlorohexane (HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined by means of gas-liquid chromatography in 3/4 postpartum day colostrum of 54 normal women. The milk levels of t-DDT, t-HCH, HCB, and PCBs correlated significantly with one another. The contents in milk of all the studied organohalides significantly increased with maternal age. The average daily intakes of t-DDT and PCBs were estimated for the studied neonates. Values exceeding the Acceptable Daily Intake values (ADIs) recommended by the WHO for t-DDT and PCBs were found for 70.4% and 24.1% of subjects, respectively. The present study confirms the trends in organohalogen residues of human milk observed by us in the studied region's inhabitants during the 17 years of monitoring (1970-1987), i.e., a consistent decline in t-DDT levels and an increase in PCB content in the present decade as compared to the 1970s. In conclusion, despite legal restrictions in their usage, the contamination with organohalides persist in human milk at a level that may result in neonatal alimentary exposure exceeding the recommended daily intakes.