Polychlorinated dioxin and dibenzofuran levels from human milk from several locations in the United States, Germany and Vietnam

Abstract

This work extends our previous work on levels of PCDD/Fs in human milk. In this paper, three countries are presented, the Federal Republic of Germany for reference purposes, pooled specimens from Los Angeles California and Binghamton, New York, widely separate cities in the United States, and various locations in the north and south of Vietnam, from 1980s specimens. Milk from the 2 US cities contain almost identical levels of the detectible PCDD/Fs, whereas in the north of Vietnam, a less industrial area, markedly lower PCDD/Fs levels were found. 2,3,4,7,8-PnCDF was markedly higher in Germany than the USA, although other values were similar. German specimens had higher PCDD/Fs levels than the USA, however, and higher toxic equivalents. Vietnamese milk specimens from the south have lower TCDD values now than they did in the 1970s when Agent Orange spraying occurred, when TCDD levels were, in some cases, markedly elevated.