Organochlorine compounds, nitro musks and perfluorinated substances in breast milk – Results from Bavarian Monitoring of Breast Milk 2007/8

Abstract

The aim of the Bavarian Monitoring of Breast Milk (BAMBI) project was to examine 10 organochlorine pesticides (OPs), 3 nitro musks, 6 indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 7 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), 10 polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), 12 dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs) and several perfluorinated alkyl compounds in breast milk samples. A total of 516 breast milk samples were collected from seven regions in Bavaria and were analyzed by means of GC/ECD, GC/HRMS, and LC/MS-MS.Concerning the OPs, only hexachlorobenzene and a metabolite of DDT, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p′-DDE), could be quantified in all samples (median: 16ngg−1 lipid and 63ngg−1 lipid, respectively). Median concentrations of 150ngg−1 lipid (range: 3–1900ngg−1 lipid) were found for the sum of the indicator PCBs. The concentrations of the PCDDs/PCDFs and the dl-PCBs ranged from 0.8 to 15.1 (median 5.7) pg WHO-TEQ1998g−1 lipid and from 1.5 to 18.9pg (median 6.4) WHO-TEQ1998g−1 lipid, respectively. The median perfluorooctane sulfonate concentration was 0.05μgL−1 (range: <0.02–0.26μgL), while the other PFCs were observed only in a subset of samples.On the basis of the median and 95th percentile concentration, “medium” and “high” intake levels were estimated for a 3-month-old exclusively breastfed infant. In particular, “medium” and “high” intake levels were calculated of 69 and 133pg WHO1998 TEQkg−1 b.w. for PCDDs/PCDFs, 8 and 21ngkg−1 b.w. for dl-PCBs, and 6 and 25ngkg−1 b.w. for perfluorooctane sulfonate, respectively.The calculated intake for perfluorinated substances is clearly below the tolerable daily intake (TDI), while the established TDI values are still clearly exceeded for PCDDs/PCDFs and dl-PCBs.