TRACE LEVELS OF TRIS(4-CHLOROPHENYL)-METHANOL AND TRIS(4-CHLOROPHENYL)-METHANE IN HUMAN-MILK

The concentrations of tris(4-chlorophenyl)methanol (TCP methanol) and the structurally similar compound, tris(4-chlorophenyl)methane (TCP me thane) are reported for the first time in human milk at the concentrat ion of 2.0 and 1.6 ng/g milk fat, respectively. This is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the detected levels of other organochlorine compo unds (OCCs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls and do therefore not see m to change previous risk assessments on mother milk. No correlation w as found between TCP methanol other OCCs in human milk, which indicate s the absence of a common source. For comparison, TCP methanol and TCP methane were analyzed in fish from the North Sea and the Mediterranea n Sea. The levels of TCP methanol and TCP methane in fish important fo r the human diet varied from <1 to 50 ng/g fat and from <1 to 80, resp ectively, which were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the detected l evels of polychlorinated biphenyls. Human milk from North Europe was f ound to have slightly higher levels of TCP methanol and TCP methane th an human milk from South Europe (although statistically insignificant) . This may be explained by the higher levels of these compounds in fis h of the North European diet