OCCURRENCE OF PERSISTENT ORGANOCHLORINE CONTAMINANTS IN HUMAN-MILK COLLECTED IN SEVERAL REGIONS OF CZECH-REPUBLIC

The concentrations of persistent organochlorine contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) DDT (its isomers and metabolites), h exachlorobenzene (HCB) and isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) have been determined in human milk samples from the three regions in the C zech Republic. Results were generated by the congener-specific analyse s (two-dimensional high resolution gas chromatography). The results ar e compared with the similar studies from other industrial countries (N orway, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany). Typical patterns o f major PCBs contained in analyzed breast milk samples are presented. PCB No.153 was the dominant congener in all the samples. A good correl ation was found between the sum of PCBs and PCB No.: 153 (r=0.99), con stitutes approx. 30% of calculated PCBs content. Copyright (C) 1996 El sevier Science Ltd.