Hegazy A. M, Fakhreldin A. R, Nasr S. M. Monitoring of Carcinogenic Environmental Pollutants in Women's Breast Milk. Biomed Pharmacol J 2020;13(1).

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Manuscript received on :19-07-2019
Manuscript accepted on :15-02-2020
Published online on: 04-03-2020

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Plagiarism Check: Yes
Reviewed by: Byeong Hwa (Bh) Yun    
Second Review by: Kartik Salwe
Final Approval by: Prof. Juei-Tang Cheng

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Ahmed Medhat Hegazy^1*, Ahmed R. Fakhreldin² and Soad M. Nasr³

¹Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Sahari, Airport Way, Post Box 81528, Aswan, Egypt.

²Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Sahari, Airport Way, Post Box 81528, Aswan, Egypt.

³Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, National Research Centre, 33 Bohouth Street, Post Box 12622, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

Corresponding Author E-mail: ahmed_medhat012@yahoo.com

DOI : https://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bpj/1868

Abstract

This study was to investigate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) levels in women's breast milk. One hundred and twenty milk samples were collected from lactating women who were living around petrochemical factories and a sugar cane factory. The residues of PAHs in women’s breast milk samples were determined using gas chromatography and PAH standards after extraction and saponification. Lead and cadmium levels were determined in the milk samples after digestion using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results revealed that different levels of acenaphthylene, fluorine, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, and benzo(g,h,i)perylene were detected in the women's breast milk. The total PAHs were significantly (P<0.05) increased in samples from women who were living around petrochemical factories and the sugar cane factory. The total carcinogenic PAH levels were significantly (P<0.05) increased (4.541±1.643 ng/ml) in samples from women living around the petrochemical factories than they were in samples from women living around the sugar cane factory (0.106±0.026 ng/ml). Lead and cadmium were detected in the milk samples collected from the studied areas but their levels were markedly higher in the samples from women living around the petrochemical factories (0.180±0.014 ng/ml). In conclusions, different compounds and levels of PAHs, Pb, and Cd could be detected in the breast milk samples of women who live in polluted areas.

Keywords

Women's Breast Milk; Environmental Pollutants; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Lead; Cadmium

Introduction

In recent years, the amount of environmental pollutants has increased in all industrialized countries. The majority of these pollutants in food originate from precipitated particulate materials. The first report on the presence of the toxic chemical; dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was published in the 1950s [1]. Breastfeeding is considered to be a defence factor that provides nutrients for appropriate growth and for physical, emotional and immunological development [2].

Human breast milk may contain many lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as heavy metals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polybromide, hexachlorocyclohexane, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides [3].  Serious effects may be associated with the presence of POPs in human breast milk that are readily transferred to infants and are easily absorbed [1].

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) originate from the incomplete combustion of fuel or from the high-temperature pyrolysis of oils and fats [4].  PAHs are environmentally persistent due to their chemical stability and resistance to biodegradation. Reports have shown that the exposure of humans to environments containing PAHs may induce lung and skin cancers [5]. PAHs can cause the development of arteriosclerosis [6], intrauterine growth retardation [7], and newly born’s neurological development [8]. In addition, PAHs can bioaccumulate in adipose tissues and are magnified through the food chain due to their lipophilic properties [9].

Lead (Pb) is one of the most dangerous pollutants due to its extensive distribution throughout the environment [10]. Lead is stored mainly in the bone matrix. Lactation increases bone turnover and increases the amount of lead in the plasma and, consequently, in human milk [11]. Chronic intrauterine exposure to lead may lead to growth retardation, neurological defects, attention deficits, and behavioural changes in later stages of life [12].

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic substance that is released into the atmosphere by coal burning [13]. Cadmium is used in certain industrial products, such as nickel-Cd batteries, paint materials, and stabilizers; it provides heat and light resistance to polyvinyl chloride and metal alloys [14]. Smoking tobacco is an important source of exposure because the tobacco plant naturally absorbs high amounts of Cd in its leaves. Higher concentrations of Cd have been detected in many foods [15]. The main organs that are affected by chronic Cd toxicity are the kidneys, bones and lungs. However, Cd has toxic effects in almost all body systems.

In previously study, we detected some environmental pollutants in raw cow’s milk, but the measurement of such pollutants in the breast milk reflects both the prenatal and postnatal exposure to these chemicals [16].

Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lead and cadmium residues in the milk samples collected from lactating women who live around the industrial areas of Petrochemical and Sugar Cane factories.

Materials and Methods

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Aswan University Hospital. All mothers involved in this study were informed about the purpose of the study, and the informed consent agreement declares that these samples will not be used in future research or other studies.

Locality

The study areas were Kema Zone, Kom-Ombo, and Edfu, Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt. The Sugar Cane Factory is located in Kom-Ombo, and the other Petrochemical Factories are located in Kema Zone in Aswan City.

Data Collection and Sampling

In this current study, all participants are healthy, lactating mothers who were living in Kema Zone, Kom-ombo, Edfu, in Aswan Governorate for at least 3 years before sample collection. The mothers gave birth to healthy newborns without complicated pregnancies or deliveries. The data collections are illustrated in Table 1. The participating mothers were aged from 26.27±5.53 to 30.76±4.71 years old, and weighted from (55.06±7.32 to 69.36±7.95 kg). The following criteria were collected: education (college/high school), occupation (working/housewife) and smoking (yes/no) and were (15/25, 17/23 and 18/22), (12/28, 13/27 and 12/28) and (4/36, 6/24 and 3/37), respectively in the cities of Kema Zone, Kom-ombo, Edfu.

Table 1: Characters of the mothers living in different localities in Aswan governorate (Mean ± SE)

Means with different letters in the same row are significantly different at P<0.05.

One hundred and twenty samples of women’s breast milk were collected (40 samples from each locality). The samples were collected from March 2015 to February 2016. Sampling collection was carried out in the early morning to the first feeding of the day during the first 6 months of lactation. Approximately 15 ml of milk was collected from each woman into cleaned, sterilized Falcon polypropylene tubes, which had been washed with diluted nitric acid and then rinsed with double distilled water. The milk samples were stored at -20 °C until the analytical process.

Analytical Determination

All procedures were carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University.

The Institutional Ethics Committee approved all experimental protocols (No. 133 at October 2015) that were conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Egypt.

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Detection of PAH residue in milk was performed according to Hegazy et al. [16] using standard curve of PAHs which included naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, and benzo(g,h,i)perylene.

Detection of PAH Residue in Milk

A gas chromatograph (Hewlett-Packard HP 5890 series II Plus) equipped with a flame ionization detector and an HP-1 analytical capillary column (30 m×0.53 mm), a film thickness (0.88 µm), and a cross-linked methyl silicone gum for the separation of PAHs. The operational conditions of gas chromatography were as follows: detector temperature (280 °C), injection port temperature (200 °C), co