Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that resist biochemical degradation, moving long distances across the atmosphere before deposition occurs. Our goal was to provide up-to-date data on the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in breast milk from Chilean women and to estimate the exposure of infants due to breast milk consumption. In Chile, we conducted a cross-sectional study based on methodologies proposed by the WHO, with a sample of 30 women recruited from three defined areas: 10 from the Arica Region (urban; Arica and Parinacota Region), 10 from Coltauco (rural; O’Higgins Region), and 10 from Molina (40% rural; Maule Region). High-resolution gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) was performed on pooled samples from each area. We calculated equivalent toxic concentrations (WHO-TEQ) based on the current WHO Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEF). The minimum and maximum values of ∑ PCDDs/Fs + DL-PCBs-TEQ were 4.317 pg TEQ/g fat in Coltauco and 6.31 pg TEQ/g fat in Arica. Molina had a total TEQ of 5.50 pg TEQ/g fat. The contribution of PCDD/Fs was approximately five-fold higher than that of DL-PCBs. The Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) of ∑ PCDDs/Fs + DL-PCBs based on the three pooled samples ranged between 6.71 and 26.28 pg TEQ/kg body weight (bw)/day, with a mean intake of 16.11 (±6.71) pg TEQ/kg bw/day in breastfed children from 0 to 24 months old. These levels were lower than those reported in international studies. Despite the fact that the observed levels were low compared to those in most industrialized countries, the detection of a variety of POPs in breast milk from Chilean women indicates the need for follow-up studies to determine whether such exposures during childhood could represent a health risk in adulthood.
Highlights
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that, to a varying degree, resist photolytic, biological, and chemical degradation
Concerning the total (∑ polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDD)/Fs + dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs)) World Health Organization (WHO)-TEQ concentrations of the pooled samples, differences were observed between the three locations, with participants from Coltauco displaying the lowest concentrations, with 4.317 pg TEQ/g of fat, and those from Arica displaying the highest, with 6.315 pg TEQ/g of fat (Table 2)
According to Fang et al [24], both Brazil and Chile displayed higher total WHO-TEQ values than African countries, current data from samples taken in 2019 show similar levels to those reported for Sweden in 2013, reaching a total level of PCDDs/Fs + detection limit (DL)-PCBs of between 4.6 and 5.5 pg TEQ/g of fat [24]
Summary
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that, to a varying degree, resist photolytic, biological, and chemical degradation. POPs are often halogenated and characterized by low water solubility and high fat solubility, leading to their bioaccumulation in fatty tissues They are semi-volatile, enabling them to move long distances in the atmosphere before deposition occurs [1]; POPs have been detected throughout the world, even in places where they have never been used, such as the Arctic regions. They are considered the most persistent bioaccumulative and toxic substances in the world [2] Due to their prolonged half-life and fat solubility, POPs tend to bioaccumulate in animals, especially in the largest species at the top of the food chain. The chronic exposure of humans to POPs is a major health concern as it can have a wide variety of harmful consequences, including reproductive and developmental effects [3,4], neurological and behavioral effects [5,6]
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