Worldwide, there is much research on assessing the accumulation of OCs in the environment, as well as the analysis and evaluation of their presence in breast milk, with the aim of defining the origin of morbidity and fatality in humans by these chemicals. However, there are few studies on this problem in Vietnam. This study was conducted in some suburban communes of Hue city. Its objective is to assess the content of OCs in breast milk. | JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, Hue University, N0 61, 2010 ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS IN HUMAN BREAST MILK IN THE SUBURBS OF HUE CITY, VIET NAM: PRELIMINARY RESULTS Hoang Trong Si, Nguyen Thanh Gia College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University Nguyen Van Hop, Thuy Chau To, Nguyen Dang Giang Chau, Le Thi Huynh Nhu College of Sciences, Hue University SUMMARY The organochlorine compounds (OCs) such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can accumulate in breast milk through the food chain. Human milk is a suitable bio-monitoring source to assess the burden of disease by these compounds in humans. In this study, human breast milk samples were collected from 30 lactating mothers who were farmers, and 10 samples from lactating mothers who were not farmers living in suburban communes of Hue city, during 2010. Questionnaires on lifestyle factors, dietary aspects, past disease, family history, occupation, and past and current exposure to pesticides were asked. The concentrations of OCPs as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls congeners (PCBs) were quantified by gas chromatoghraphy with micro electron capture detector (GC-µECD). Results are reported on milk fat basis. DDTs and HCHs were detected in all breast milk samples. PCBs were detected in some breast milk samples. There was no significant difference in levels of OCPs and PCBs between lactating mothers who were farmers or not farmers. The levels of DDTs, HCHs and PCBs in the breast milk samples were found to correlate positively with the age of the mothers. Keywords: OCs, DDTs, HCHs, PCBs, Human breast milk, Vietnam 1. Introduction There are some plant protecting chemicals as organochlorine compounds (OCs), two of them are DDT (diclodiphenyltricloetan) and HCH (hexacloxyclohexan). They belong to a group of 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs:), which are the .
