Skip to main content
Log in

Organochlorine Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls Levels in Human Milk from Chelem, Yucatán, México

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human milk from Chelem, Yucatan, Mexico were analyzed. Relatively high levels of p,p′-DDE, γ-chlordane, β-hexacyclohexane (β-HCH) and PCB congeners 170, 28, and 44 were found. Concentration profiles by OCP groups followed the next order: ΣDDTs > ΣChlordanes > ΣHCHs > ΣChlorobenzenes > ΣDrins. Total OCPs showed a decreasing tendency with number of births (primipara and multipara and age ranks) but these differences were not significant. ΣDDT levels were lower than in other studies in Mexico, but 36% of the samples exceeded the JMPR-FAO/WHO acceptable daily intake (ADI). About 60.53% of samples exceeded the ADI value for heptachlors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Burke ER, Holden AJ, Shaw IC (2003a) A method to determine residue levels of persistent organochlorine pesticides in human milk from Indonesian women. Chemosphere 50:529–535

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burke ER, Holden AJ, Shaw IC, Suharyanto FX, Sihombing G (2003b) Organochlorine pesticides residues in human milk from primiparous women in Indonesia. Bull environ Contam Toxicol 71:148–155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chao H-R, Wang S-L, Lin T-Ch, Chung X-H (2006) Levels of organochlorine pesticides in human milk from central Taiwan. Chemosphere 62:1774–1785

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohn BA, Wolff MS, Cirillo PM, Sholtz RI (2007) DDT and breast cancer in young women: new data on the significance of age at exposure. Environ Health Perspect doi:10.1289/ehp.10260

  • Ennaceur S, Gandoura N, Driss MR (2007) Organochlorine pesticide residues in human milk of mothers living in northern Tunisia. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 78:325–329

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardell L, Van Bavel B, Lindström G, Carlberg M, Dreifaldt AC, Wijkström H, Starkhammar H, Eriksson M, Hallquist A, Kolmert T (2007) Increased concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, hexachlorobenzene and chlordanes in mothers of men with testicular cancer. Environ Health Perspect 111:930–934

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harris CA, O’Hagen S, Merson GHJ (1999) Organochlorine pesticide residues and polychlorinated biphenyls in human milk in the United Kingdom 1997–1998. Human Exp Toxicol 18:602–606

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IARC (1987) Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk to humans, overall evaluations of carcinogenicity: an updating of IARC vol 1–42, supplement 7. International Association of Research on Cancer, Lyon, France pp 350–354

  • IARC (1991) Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk to humans, Vol 53. Occupational exposure in insecticide application, and some pesticides. International Association of Research on Cancer, Lyon, France pp 179–249

  • INE (2004) Lindano en México, Instituto Nacional de Ecología, México 2004

  • IPCS (1991) Chlorobenzenes other than hexachlorobenzene. Geneva, World Health Organization, International Programme on Chemical Safety Environmental Health Criteria 128

  • Jensen AA (1983) Chemical contaminants in human milk. In: Gunther FA, Gunther JD (eds) Residue reviews – residues of pesticides and others contaminants in the total environment, Vol 89. Springer Verlag, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • JMPR-FAO/WHO (2006) Inventory of IPCS and other WHO pesticide evaluations and summary of toxicological evaluations performed by the joint meeting on pesticide residues (JMPR) through 2006. Joint FAO/WHO meeting on pesticide residues (JMPR) publications

  • Kalantsi OI, Martin FL, Thomas GO, Alcok RE, Tang HR, Drury SC, Carmichael PL, Nicholson JK, Jones KC (2004) Different levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and chlorinated compounds in breast milk form two UK Regions. Environ Health Perspect 112:1085–1091

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kunisue T, Muraoka M, Ohtake M, Surdayanto A, Minh NH, Ueno D, Higaki Y, Ochi M, Tsydenova O, Kamikawa S, Tonegi T, Nakamura Y, Shimomura H, Nagayama J, Tanabe S (2006) Contamination status of persistent organochlorines in human breast milk from Japan: recent levels and temporal trend. Chemosphere 64:1601–1608

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nasir K, Bilto YY, Al-Shuraiki Y (1998) Residues of organochlorine hydrocarbon insecticides in human milk of Jordanian women. Environ Poll 99:141–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rylander L, Strömberg U, Hagmar L (2000) Lowered birth weight among infants born to women with a high intake of fish contaminated with persistent organochlorine compounds. Chemosphere 40:1255–1262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Secretaría de Salud (2000) Situación actual de la malaria y uso del DDT en México. Centro Nacional de Salud Ambiental y Centro de Vigilancia Epidemiológica, Secretaría de Salud, Diciembre 2000

  • Siddiqui MKJ, Srivastava A, Srivastava SP, Mehrotra PK, Mathur N, Tandom I (2003) Persistent chlorinated pesticides and intra-uterine foetal growth retardation: a possible association. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 76:75–80

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stuetz W, Prapamontol T, Erhardt JG, Classes HG (2001) Organochlorine pesticides in human milk of a Hmong hill tribe living in northern Thailand. Sci Tot Environ 273:53–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsydenova OV, Surdayanto A, Kajiwara N, Kunisue T, Batoev VB, Tanabe S (2007) Organohalogen compounds in human breast milk from Republic of Buryatia, Russia. Environ Poll 146:225–232

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Waliszewski SM, Pardio-Sedas VT, Chantiri JN, Infanzon RM, Rivera J (1996) Organochlorine pesticide residues in human breast milk from tropical areas in Mexico. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 57:22–28

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Waliszewski SM, Aguirre AA, Infanzon RM, Benitez A, Rivera J (1999) Comparison of organochlorine pesticide levels in adipose tissue and human milk of mothers living in Veracruz, Mexico. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 52:685–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waliszewski MT, Bermudez ST, Infanzon RM (2002) Niveles de DDT en tejido adiposo materno, suero sanguíneo y leche de madres residentes en Veracruz, México. Revista internacional de contaminación ambiental 18(001):17–25

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Luis René Antonio Capurro Filograsso for reviewing an earlier version and Jorge Arturo Dominguez Maldonado for his technical assistance. This project was funded by the University of Yucatan Priori-Uady program (project FMED-05-003).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerardo Gold-Bouchot.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rodas-Ortíz, J.P., Ceja-Moreno, V., González-Navarrete, R.L. et al. Organochlorine Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls Levels in Human Milk from Chelem, Yucatán, México. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 80, 255–259 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-007-9356-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-007-9356-7

Keywords

Navigation