Levels of organohalogenated persistent pollutants in human milk from Kahramanmaraş region, Turkey

Abstract

The levels of 1,1,1-trichloro-bis-2,2′-(4-chlorophenyl) ethane (p,p′-DDT) and its metabolites, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordanes (trans- and cis-chlordane, oxychlordane and trans-nonachlor), 11 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and 7 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were measured in 37 individual human milk samples from Kahramanmaraş region, Turkey. Organochlorine pesticides were the major contaminants in the milk samples. p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDT were detected in all samples, while β-HCH had a detection frequency of 97%. The sum of the DDTs in human milk samples varied between 0.52 and 315.8 ng/g wet weight (ww) with a mean ratio between p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDT equal to 31.1. p,p′-DDD could be measured only in six samples. β-HCH was the most prevalent HCH isomer with a mean value of 2.08 ng/g ww. The mean concentration of γ-HCH was 0.38 ng/g ww, while α-HCH was not detected in any sample. HCB is found in 95% of the milk samples with a mean concentration of 0.30 ng/g ww. The mean value for the sum of chlordanes was 0.39 ng/g ww, with oxychlordane and trans-nonachlor being the principal contributors. PCBs could be measured only in 8 out of 37 samples and their concentration ranged between <0.15 and 1.92 ng/g ww for the sum of PCBs. PCB profiles were dominated by congeners 153, 180 and 138. PBDEs were detected only in 3 out of 37 samples, with the highest value being 0.014 ng/g ww (0.40 ng/g lipid weight) and BDE 47 was the dominant congener. Although the number of samples is relatively low and they are not representative for the whole Turkish population, the results of the present study are important to provide additional data on the concentrations of persistent organochlorinated pollutants in Turkey and show as first the PBDE levels in Turkish population.