Hr. Johansen et al., CONGENER-SPECIFIC DETERMINATION OF POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS AND ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES IN HUMAN-MILK FROM NORWEGIAN MOTHERS LIVING IN OSLO, Journal of toxicology and environmental health, 42(2), 1994, pp. 157-171
Human milk samples from 28 mothers at Oslo City Hospital, Norway, were
collected in 1991 and analyzed for individual polychlorinated Dipheny
l (PCB) congeners, IUPAC numbers 28, 74, 99, 101, 105, 114, 118, 128,
138, 141, 153, 156, 157, 170, 180, 194, and 206, plus selected non-ort
ho-substituted compounds, IUPAC numbers 77, 126, and 169. Sum DDTs (su
m of concentrations oi DDT and related compounds), hexachlorobenzene (
HCB), oxychlordane, transnonachlor, and sum hexachlorocyclohexanes (HC
Hs) (sum of concentrations of alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, and gamma-HCH) were
also determined. The mean levels of sum DDTs, HCB, oxychlordane, tran
snonachlor, and sum HCHs were 338, 41, 9, 19, and 36 ng/g, respectivel
y, in human milk fat p,p'-DDE and beta-HCH accounted for 81 and 93% of
sum DDTs and sum HCHs, respectively. The mean level of sum PCBs (sum
of mean concentrations of 20 individual congeners) was 372 ng/g milk f
at. A very good correlation was found between sum PCBs and PCB-153 (r
= .97). Sum PCBs determined on a capillary column was found to account
for 62-79% of total PCBs calculated by using the packed column method
used in previous human milk surveys in Norway. Comparison with previo
us results revealed that the mean sum PCB, HCB and sum DDT levels were
decreased by 70, 65, and 75%, respectively during the past 9 yr. The
contribution of individual PCDD/PCDF (earlier Norwegian study) and non
- and mono-ortho-substituted PCB congeners to the total calculated tox
ic equivalent values was assessed, and the PCBs were found to constitu
te a major part of the TCDD equivalents in human milk, with PCB-126 as
the main contributor.