RESIDUES OF CHLORINATED-HYDROCARBON INSECTICIDES IN HUMAN-MILK OF JORDANIAN WOMEN

A total of 411 milk samples were screened for the residues of the foll owing chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides using chromatographic metho ds: DDT insecticides (P,P'-DDT, P,P'-DDE, P,P'-DDD, O,P' -DDT); cyclod iene insecticides (aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachlorepo xide, cis-and trans-chlordane); hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH, gamm a-HCH) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). The milk samples were obtained fro m lactating women selected randomly from five different geographical r egions in Jordan. These regions were North and Middle Jordan Valley, A mman, Irbid and Zarqa. All of the studied insecticides were found to c ontaminate human milk in Jordan, but with high variations in the conce ntration and percentage of population occurrence. P,P'-DDE was the pre dominant contaminant occurring in 80.3% of studied population, followe d by P,P'-DDT occurring in 53.5%. The regional results showed that the DDT residues were also the predominant contaminant in all regions and that the North and Middle Jordan Valley regions were the most affecte d. Infant's age (i.e. lactation period) had a significant inverse rela tionship with the concentration of insecticides in the milk fat. (C)19 98 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.