Dioxins, PCBs and some chlorinated pesticides in human milk from the Kola Peninsula, Russia

In 1993, 30 individual human milk samples were collected in Murmansk and Monchegorsk, and analysed for 23 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, PCBs (IUPAC nos.) 28, 52, 66, 74, 99, 101, 105, 110, 114, 118, 128, 138, 141, 149, 153, 156, 157, 170, 180, 187, 194, 206, and 209. In addition, the following organochlorine pesticides (OCPs): hexachlorobenzene (HCB), the α-, β-, γ- isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), the chlordanes: oxychlordane, trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, and cis-nonachlor, and the DDT-compounds: pp-DDE, pp-DDD, op-DDT and pp-DDT were detected. From each city, a pooled sample was made and analysed for non-ortho PCBs, dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). In addition one individual sample from Monchegorsk was analysed for PCDDs/PCDFs because of the very high levels of PCBs in this sample. High levels of pp-DDE and β-HCH were found in Murmansk and Monchegorsk (in parenthesis) with mean levels of 1269, (892) and 853, (739) μg/kg milk fat respectively. Highest individual levels of pp-DDE (2816 μg/kg milk fat) and β-HCH (1988 μg/kg milk fat) were found in Murmansk. Significant differences were found between the levels of γ-HCH cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, pp-DDE, and the PCBs 28, 52, 74, 66, 110, 118, 105, 128, 206, and 209, between the two areas. No geographic differences in the concentrations of PCDDs/PCDFs and non-ortho PCBs in the sample pools from the two Russian areas were observed.