Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo- p -Dioxins/Furans (PCDD/Fs) and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in Human Breast Milk in Chile: A Pilot Study

Claudia Foerster, Liliana Zúñiga-Venegas, Pedro Enríquez, Jacqueline Rojas, Claudia Zamora, Ximena Muñoz, Floria Pancetti, María Teresa Muñoz-Quezada, Boris Lucero, Chiara Saracini, Claudio Salas and Sandra Cortés
Additional contact information
Claudia Foerster: Instituto de Ciencias Agroalimentarias, Animales y Ambientales (ICA3), Universidad de O’Higgins, Campus Colchagua, Ruta 90, KM 3, San Fernando 3070000, Chile
Liliana Zúñiga-Venegas: Laboratorio de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Departamento de Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
Pedro Enríquez: Laboratorio Química e Inocuidad Alimentaria, Servicio Agrícola Ganadero, Ruta 68 N° 19100, Pudahuel 9020000, Chile
Jacqueline Rojas: Laboratorio Química e Inocuidad Alimentaria, Servicio Agrícola Ganadero, Ruta 68 N° 19100, Pudahuel 9020000, Chile
Claudia Zamora: Laboratorio Química e Inocuidad Alimentaria, Servicio Agrícola Ganadero, Ruta 68 N° 19100, Pudahuel 9020000, Chile
Ximena Muñoz: Secretaria Regional de Salud Arica-Parinacota, Maipú 410, Arica 1000000, Chile
Floria Pancetti: Laboratorio de Neurotoxicología Ambiental, Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo N° 1281, Coquimbo 1780000, Chile
María Teresa Muñoz-Quezada: Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
Boris Lucero: Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
Chiara Saracini: Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
Claudio Salas: Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias INIA Intihuasi, Colina San Joaquín S/N, La Serena 1700000, Chile
Sandra Cortés: Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8320000, Chile

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-9

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.

Keywords: persistent organic pollutant; dioxins; furans; PCBs; human breast milk; infant exposure; Chile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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