Accumulation of persistent organochlorine contaminants in milk and serum of farmers from Ghana

Abstract

In the present study, the concentrations of persistent ogranochlorie (OC) pesticides such dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomer (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and dieldrin in pooled samples of human breast milk (n=109), and serum (n=115) from vegetable farmers in Ghana, during 2005, were determined. Ghana chromatography with mass spectrometry was used to quantify residue levels on a lipid basis of the OCs. The pattern of OCs in human fluid showed that DDTs was consistently the prevalent OC in milk sample donors (rs = 0.606, 0.770 and 0.540, respectively). When blood serum levels of the OCs were compared between male and female farmers, no pronounced relationship for HCHs and HCB (p >0.05) was observed. However, DDTs and dieldrin residues were significantly higher (p<0.05) in males than in females. There was association between breast milk and serum residues. The daily intakes of DDTs and HCHs to infants through human breast milk were estimated, some individual farmer (in the case of DDTs) and all farmer (in the case of HCHs) accumulated OCs in breast milk above the threshold (tolerable daily intake, TDI, guidelines proposed by Health Canada) for adverse effects, which my raise concern on children health.