Detection of monocyclic aromatic amines, possible mammary carcinogens, in human milk

Environmental chemicals may play a role in the etiology of human breast can cer. Aromatic amines, industrial chemicals found as environmental pollutant s, have been Identified as rat mammary carcinogens. We have detected the mo nocyclic aromatic amines, aniline, o-toluidine, and N-methylaniline at part s per billion levels in human milk samples, by applying solid-phase microex traction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Our findings in dicate that human breast ductal epithelial cells are directly exposed to ar omatic amines, including o-toluidine, which is a mammary carcinogen in fema le rats.