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Breast Milk Excretion Kinetic of β-HCH, pp′DDE and pp′DDT

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Abstract

Breast milk is considered the most important route in the elimination of deposited organochlorine pesticides in a mother’s body. The equilibrium of organochlorine pesticides in the human body considers the elements of internal transport processes, the equilibrium pattern between pesticides and tissue fat contents, and the mobilization of lipids and lipoproteins among body parts. The aim of this study was to determine organochlorine pesticide levels in breast milk samples from the 4th to the 30th day of lactation and the trend in their concentration time so as to forecast the time tendency of residue levels and the pesticide excretion pattern. Milk samples were taken from forty participants and analyzed by GLC-ECD. The organochlorine pesticide residues determined in the breast milk samples during lactation decreased: β-HCH from 0.095 to 0.066 mg/kg, pp′DDE from 1.807 to 1.423 mg/kg and pp′DDT from 0.528 to 0.405 mg/kg, at the characteristic rate for each compound. The obtained results compared with the calculated fits of forecasts were parallel and did not exhibit significant differences. The newborn baby exposed during lactation had organochlorine pesticide residues whose levels decreased permanently. The levels depended not only on the breast milk nutrition, but also on the total environmental exposures which included air pollution as a significant contamination source.

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Correspondence to S. M. Waliszewski.

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Waliszewski, S.M., Melo-Santiesteban, G., Villalobos-Pietrini, R. et al. Breast Milk Excretion Kinetic of β-HCH, pp′DDE and pp′DDT. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 83, 869–873 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9796-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9796-3

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