Residues of Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants in Breast Milk and their Possible Effects on the Female Reproductive Function

• Main Authors: Chen, Men-Wen, 陳明文
• Other Authors: Huang, Kuo-Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/7ypr55

博士 === 國立屏東科技大學 === 環境工程與科學系所 === 106 === This study is composed of two parts which are related to the residues of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in human breast milk in Southern Taiwan and their possible associations with female reproductive function (i.e. infertility, gynecological diseases, and menstruation characteristics) and their correlation with sociodemographic parameters (i.e. age, pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI), annual incomes, population, birth year, and parity) and dietary habits. In the Part I of this study, the congener-specific concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in 25 breast milk samples from southern Taiwan were investigated. It was found that most PCDD/F and PBDE congeners in the 25 samples were detectable. However, the concentrations of PBDD/F congeners were below method detection limits (MDLs). The geometric means of PCDD/Fs and PBDEs in the breast milk are 2.44 pg WHO2005-TEQ/g lipid and 2810 pg/g lipid, respectively. Several PCDD/F and PBDE congeners were highly correlated to each other, like 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF (r = 0.919, p < 0.001). Moreover, the longest duration of menstruation could be predicted by the congeners BDE-153 (β = 0.252) and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF (β = 0.345) with adjustment of confounders using a multiple stepwise linear regression model (r = 0.963, p < 0.001). In the Part II of this study, 68 breast milk samples from Southern Taiwan were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). It was found that the most abundant OCP residues in the breast milk were ƩDDT followed by ƩHCH, whose geometric means ± standard deviations were 9.81 ± 7.52 ng/g lipid and 0.539 ± 0.557 ng/g lipid, respectively. Additionally, cis-chlordane (cis-CHL) and γ-HCH were related to participants who received medical treatment for infertility, while 4,4’-DDT was associated with those who received gynecological surgery. The logistic regression showed that the odds ratio (OR) of log γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) was higher for mothers who had received medical treatment for infertility than for the normal group (OR = 25.6, p = 0.035) after adjustments for age, pre-pregnant BMI, annual income, population (i.e., native-born Taiwanese), birth year, and parity. Cow milk and beef consumption as well as menstruation characteristics such as average menstrual period (>5 days), shortest menstrual period (<3 days), and women who had taken hormonal drugs were significantly associated with several OCP residues in the breast milk. In addition, ƩHCH including β-HCH and γ-HCH was correlated with annual family income, gravidity, and cow milk and beef consumptions. γ-HCH exhibited a probable association with the infertility diseases of Taiwanese women, and dietary habit might play an important role in the female Taiwanese exposure to OCPs. Overall, the findings in the present study support that PBDEs, PCDD/Fs, and OCPs have adverse health effects on female reproductive function.