Persistent organic toxicants in the breast milk of women in the south and north of the Far East of Russia and infant health risk assessment
Authors: Mironova Ekaterina Konstantinovna , Donets Maxim Mikhailovich , Gumovsky Alexandr Nikolaevich , Gumovskaya Yulia Petrovna , Boyarova Margarita Dmitrievna , Anisimova Irina Yuryevna , Koval Irina Petrovna , Tsygankov Vasiliy Yurievich 
Published: April 2023

Introduction. National programs for monitoring organochlorine compounds (OCs) in the human body are being implemented in different countries. According to WHO, one of the most reliable indicators of the impact of POPs on human health is the determination of their content in women’s breast milk.
In this regard, the purpose of the study was to study the accumulations of organic pollutants (OCPs and PCBs) in the breast milk of women in the south and north of the Far East region of Russia and to assess the environmental risk for infants.
Material and methods. Breast milk samples (n=94) was collected in several healthcare institutions in the region (Primorsky Krai and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) with the written consent of the participants in the experiment. The women’s age ranged from 15 to 49 years. The concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in breast milk samples were studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Results. The concentrations of POPs (∑HCH+∑DDT+∑PCB) in the samples in women’s breast milk of Primorye varied from 23 to 878 (median (Ме) 128) ng/g and from 13 to 621 (Ме 58) ng/g of lipids in the samples of women from the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, respectively. The range of concentrations of OCPs (∑HCH+∑DDT) and ∑PCBd for residents of Primorye was 3–291 (Ме 72) and 3–720 (Ме 52) ng/g of lipids, for CAO – 7–275 (Ме 27) and 1–431 (Ме 28) ng/g lipid, respectively.
Limitation of the study. The limitation of the study is a small sample sample. However, this does not prevent us from conducting an assessment and making preliminary conclusions for the subsequent in-depth analysis of the state of these regions.
Сonclusion. Persistent organic contaminants were found in all breast milk samples. The total content of POPs in women’s breast milk of Primorye is higher than in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in all age groups. Calculations to assess the risk of not exceeding the estimated daily intake (EDI) in breastfed infants in two regions. As follows from the results of the calculation of EDI, the level of PCB intake in newborns in Chukotka is 1.6 times higher than in Primorsky Krai. Since the action of PCBs is associated with effects that have a negative impact on the development of the child and the risk of possibility of developing various pathologies, this situation is alarming.
Keywords: POPs; HOP; PCBs; breast milk; risk assessment; Primorsky Krai; Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the School of Biomedicine of the Far Eastern Federal University, case No. 4, protocol No. 5 dated December 19, 2017.
Patient consent. Each participant of the study (or his/her legal representative) gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study and publish personal medical information in an impersonal form in the journal “Toksikologicheskiy vestnik (Toxicological Review)”.