Removal of endocrine disruptors in milk by circulation through polydimethylsiloxane tubing

Abstract

AbstractA simple circulating system was developed, in which an aqueous solution, cow milk, or human milk was circulated through hydrophobic polymeric tubing to remove the endocrine disruptors from the solution by sorption into the tubing. The effect of circulating parameters, such as tube length, circulating time, and flow rate, against the removal ratio (R) of endocrine disruptors was investigated. R of 1,2,3,4,5,6‐hexachlorocyclohexane (γ‐HCH, lindane) increased with the length of the hydrophobic polymeric tubing, circulating time, and flow rate when cow milk containing 1 ppm γ‐HCH was circulated through polydimethylsiloxane tubing. The R values of several endocrine disruptors with different octanol–water distribution coefficients (log Pow) was investigated for γ‐HCH and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane in an aqueous solution, cow milk, and human milk. A similar trend for R versus log Pow of the human milk to that of the aqueous solution and cow milk was observed. The R values of the endocrine disruptors decreased in the following order: Aqueous solution > Human milk > Cow milk. Stable micelles in cow milk disturbed the shift of the endocrine disruptors from the milk micelles into the hydrophobic tubing. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:3634–3640, 2006