Longitudinal study of pesticide residue levels in human milk from Western Australia during 12 months of lactation: Exposure assessment for infants.

Jian Du,Melvin C L Gay,Ching T Lai,Peter E Hartmann,Donna T Geddes,Zoya Gridneva,Robert D Trengove

doi:10.1038/srep38355

Jian Du, Melvin C L Gay + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38355

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Abstract

The presence of pesticides in human milk (HM) is of great concern due to the potential health effects for the breastfed infant. To determine the relationships between HM pesticides and infant growth and development, a longitudinal study was conducted. HM samples (n = 99) from 16 mothers were collected at 2, 5, 9 and 12 months of lactation. A validated QuEChERS method and Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) were used for the analysis of 88 pesticides in HM. Only p,p’-DDE, p,p’-DDT and β-HCH were detected with a mean concentration (±SD) of 52.25 ± 49.88 ng/g fat, 27.67 ± 20.96 ng/g fat and 48.00 ± 22.46 ng/g fat respectively. The concentrations of the detected pesticides decreased significantly throughout the first year of lactation. No significant relationships between HM p,p’-DDE and infant growth outcomes: weight, length, head circumference and percentage fat mass were detected. The actual daily intake (ADI) of total DDTs in this cohort was 14–1000 times lower than the threshold reference and significantly lower than the estimated daily intake (EDI). Further, the ADI decreased significantly throughout the first 12 months of lactation.

Highlights

The presence of pesticides in human milk (HM) is of great concern due to the potential health effects for the breastfed infant
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, are synthetic chemicals that are present in the environment[1,2]
No significant differences were observed in maternal body mass index (BMI) (P > 0.96), maternal fat mass (P > 0.46) and infant fat mass measured by ultrasound skinfolds (P > 0.87) and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS; P > 0.24) throughout the first year of lactation

Summary

Introduction

The presence of pesticides in human milk (HM) is of great concern due to the potential health effects for the breastfed infant. The presence of pesticides in HM is of great concern due to the potential health effects for the breastfed infant, as many of these pesticides are known to interfere with the function of normal endocrine systems[2] Exposure to these xenobiotics has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects, such as delayed neurodevelopment, poor cognitive performance and growth retardation during early childhood[9,10,11]. With respect to recent study postnatal exposure to pesticides, Liu (2016) reported an association between smaller newborn head circumference and the metabolites of OPPs, such as dialkylphosphate (DAP) and diethyl phosphate (DEP) which was more pronounced in the male infant. Epidemiological studies of pesticides in HM in relation to postnatal infant growth outcomes are non-existent we lack understanding of the effects of the pesticides in HM on the infant growth and development despite the infant in being more vulnerable to the potential effects due to their immature biological systems and the high levels of enzymes required to detoxify these pesticides[17]

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