| Title: |
WHO exposure study on the levels of PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs in human milk
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| Resource Type: |
document --> technical publication --> proceedings / conference paper(s)
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| Country: |
EU Projects
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| Year of publication: |
2003 |
| Availability: |
van Leeuwen F.X.R. & Malisch R. (2003) WHO exposure study on the levels of PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs in human milk. Persistent Toxic Substances Contamination of the European Region as a reflection of results of the GEF/UNEP Regional Based Assessment of Persistent Toxic Substances (RBA PTS) in Europe, the implementation of the Stockholm Convention and 'Community Strategy for Dioxins, Furans and PCBs'
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| Author 1/Producer: |
van Leeuwen F.X.R.
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| Other Authors/Producers: |
Malisch R.
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| Author / Producer Type: |
EC Project
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EUGRIS Keyword(s): |
Diffuse pollution-->Diffuse pollution overview
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| Short description: |
Since the mid-eighties, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has coordinated a comprehensive programme on possible health risks of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). This programme was carried out in collaboration with other international organisations and national institutions, and concentrated particularly on the health risk of infants, due to exposure through contaminated breast-milk, and aiming to prevent and control environmental exposure to these chemicals. Because breast milk contains many lipid soluble compounds that are also present in mother’s adipose tissue, it can also be assumed that the levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in breast milk are representative for those in plasma, serum lipid and adipose tissue. Therefore levels of these contaminants in human milk do reflect the body burden and can thus be used as an indicator for the overall exposure of the general population. The collection of human milk is a non-invasive sampling method, offering a great advantage over the collection of other biological samples to assess overall human exposure. In addition, the high content of fat makes the extraction method easier and the precision of the measurements higher.
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Submitted By:
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Dr Stefan Gödeke WhoDoesWhat?
Last update: 14/02/2006
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