Exposition to and Heal Theffects of Residues in Hu

Authors: Hildegard Przyrembel Barbara HeinrichHirsch Baerbel Vieth

Publish Date: 2002

Volume: , Issue: , Pages: 307-325

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Abstract

A great variety of drugs cosmetics food ingredients as well as environmental contaminants are secreted with human milk as a result of actual exposure or the accumulated body burden of the mother Of great concern and least amenable to shortterm intervention are persistent substances in the environment with long halflives in the body due to their lipophilic properties and minimal degradation Polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons namely organochlorine pesticides polychlorinated biphenyls PCB and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins PCDD and dibenzofurans PCDF are fetotoxic neurotoxic immunotoxic some are promoting carcinogens and/or interfere with hormonal receptors They pass the placenta and equilibrate among the lipid compartments of the body including breast milk lipids Transplacental exposure is more relevant with regard to physical development and cognitive functioning of the child than postnatal exposure via breastmilk Restrictions for production use and release have been successful in decreasing exposure as shown by a downward trend of their contents both in human milk and serum lipids for the last 15 to 20 years It is difficult to evaluate the potentially late effects of the exposure via breastmilk which is 10 to 100 times higher in industrialised countries than the tolerable daily intake TDI of 1 to 4 toxic equivalents WHOTEQ pg/kg/day established in 1998 by WHO for dioxins and dioxinlike PCBs but which lasts for 06 of the expected life span only Carefully conducted longterm followup of cohorts with defined exposure levels with consideration of numerous biological and psychological parameters is expected to provide the answer

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