Environmental research
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Environmental research · Feb 1999
Relation of Lake Ontario fish consumption, lifetime lactation, and parity to breast milk polychlorobiphenyl and pesticide concentrations.
Lactating female members and spouses of male members of the New York State Angler Cohort who agreed to provide breast milk samples were the subjects of this study. Questionnaires were provided to participants focusing on Lake Ontario fish consumption, reproductive history, and lactation history. Milk samples were analyzed for 77 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) congeners, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (DDE), a metabolite of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and 1,1a,2,2,3,3a, 4,5,5,5a,5b,6-dodecachlorooctahydro-1,3, 4-methano-1H-cyclobuta[cd]pentalene (Mirex). ⋯ The total number of months of lifetime lactation varied inversely with the total PCB concentration in breast milk. A similar relationship was evident for DDE. These data are of use for risk assessment in estimating the relative exposure to these environmental contaminants in breast fed infants whose mothers consumed contaminated Lake Ontario fish.