BURDEN OF CADMIUM AND LEAD CONTENT IN HUMAN-MILK AND MILK FORMULAS INSTYRIA, AUSTRIA - A MODERATE INDUSTRIALIZED AREA

We investigated the burden of the toxic elements cadmium and lead in h uman milk (n = 64) and milk formula products (n = 17) in Styria, a mod erate.industrialized region in Austria. Additionally the cadmium accum ulation was determined in 24 kidney tissue samples from autopsy materi al from specimens up to the 30th month of life. The median cadmium con centration in human milk was 0.6 mug/l (range 0-7.5) and 0.8 mug/l (ra nge 0 - 2.5) in 1990 and 1992, respectively. In 17 milk formulas a con centration of 0.5 mug/l (0 - 2.7) was found. Cadmium concentration in kidney tissue of fetuses up to the fourth month of life was near zero. From 6 to 30 months of life it increased significantly to a median co ncentration of 60 ng/g wet weight (range 0 - 1070), (p = 0.001). The m edian lead concentration of human milk samples was in 1992 3.4 mug/l ( 0 - 20.4), that of milk formula samples 2.4 mug/l (0 - 35.4). In concl usion it can be said that the median burden of human milk and milk for mulas with cadmium and lead is generally in a low concentration range in Styria. The burden of cadmium and lead content in human milk and mi lk formula products are in the same order of magnitude. The provisiona l tolerable daily intake, proposed by the World Health Organisation wa s exceeded for cadmium and lead in one human milk sample and for lead in two milk formula products.