Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in human umbilical cord serum, maternal serum and milk from Wielkopolska region, Poland

The levels of organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs): p,p′-DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordanes and their metabolites, and 18 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were measured in maternal serum, umbilical cord serum and human milk collected from 22 mothers living in the Wielkopolska region, Poland. Additionally, 11 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were measured in the human milk samples. p,p′-DDT and its major metabolite, p,p′-DDE, together with HCB, were found in all milk and serum samples. Median concentrations of p,p′-DDE in maternal serum, umbilical cord serum and milk were 343, 329 and 634 ng/g lipid weight (lw). PCB congeners 138, 153 and 180 were the major congeners measured in all serum samples, while CB 170 was detected in 74% and 100% of umbilical cord and maternal serum, respectively. Except for CBs 74, 101 and 105, which had a detection frequency of 77%, 23% and 82%, respectively, all investigated PCB congeners were measured in all human milk samples. The median concentrations of sum PCBs in maternal serum, umbilical cord serum and milk were 79, 60 and 133 ng/g lw, respectively. A good correlation (Spearman RS > 0.75, p < 0.001) was found for major PCBs, p,p′-DDT and p,p′-DDE, between maternal and umbilical cord serum, while the correlation was weaker between milk and serum. The median of sum PBDEs in human milk was 2.0 ng/g lw (range 0.8 to 8.4), with BDE 47 being always the most abundant PBDE congener and, together with BDE 153, being present in all samples. In general, results found in the investigated group are at the low end of the concentration range measured in Europe.