Determination of toxaphene in human milk from Nicaragua and in fish and marine mammals from the northeastern Atlantic and the North Sea

Abstract

Concentrations of toxaphene (polychlorinated monoterpenes, chlorobornanes) were determined in human milk samples from Nicaragua and in fish from the North Sea. Relatively high toxaphene levels were found in the Nicaraguan human milk samples. The lack of correlation between the number of children of the mothers and toxaphene levels in their milk suggests a compensation of the elimination of toxaphene by a regularly high toxaphene intake. The increasing trend of toxaphene concentrations in North Sea fish sampled further away from the European coast suggests an aerial transport of toxaphene from the American continent to Europe.