Association of maternal blood pressure and hemoglobin level with organochlorines in human milk.

Milk samples of women from the general population in Lucknow were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography to determine the concentration of organochlorine pesticides and their possible association with maternal characteristics. p,p'-DDT (dichloro diphenyltrichloroethane), p,p-DDE (dichloro diphenyltrichloroethylene), p,p'-DDD (dichloro diphenyl dichloroethane), alpha, beta gamma and delta isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and aldrin were detected. The calculated daily intake of DDT and HCH by the neonates exceeded their acceptable daily intake (ADI) set by the WHO. A statistically significant association was noted between alpha-HCH residues in milk and hemoglobin (Hb) level in maternal blood (P < 0.001). Also, there was a significant association between gamma-HCH and p,p'-DDT levels in milk and diastolic blood pressure of mother (P < 0.05). An apparent negative relationship between p,p'-DDE level in mother's milk and birthweight of the baby was also noticed (P < 0.05). These results highlight the need for periodic monitoring to determine organochlorine contamination in human milk and assess their impact on mother and on neonatal health.

Organochlorine pesticide residues in different Indian cereals, pulses, spices, vegetables, fruits, milk, butter, Deshi ghee, and edible oils.

A total of 244 samples of cereals (wheat flour, rice, and maize), pulses (arhar, moong, gram, lentil, and black gram), spices (turmeric, chili, coriander, and black pepper), vegetables (potato, onion, spinach, cabbage, brinjal, and tomato), fruits (mango, guava, apple, and grape), milk, butter, Deshi ghee, and edible oils (vegetable, mustard, groundnut, and sesame) collected from different cities of Northern Province (Utter Pradesh) were analyzed by gas liquid chromatography for the presence of organochlorine pesticide residues. Residues of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (DDT) were detected in about 85% of the total samples of cereals, spices, milk, butter, Deshi ghee, and edible oils analyzed in the present study. However, the residue levels were either very small (less than 0.06 ppm) or not detected at all in pulses, vegetables, and fruits as compared with very high concentrations in wheat flour (4.42 and 0.12 ppm), butter (1.19 and 4.85 ppm), mustard oil (1.26 and 2.42 ppm), Deshi ghee (1.10 and 3.84 ppm), vegetable oil (1.02 and 0.59 ppm), groundnut oil (0.51 and 1.49 ppm), and chili (0.48 and 1.92 ppm). The levels of HCH and DDT residues detected in rice, maize, turmeric, corlander, black pepper, and all the vegetables and fruits were also lower than those found in wheat flour, oil, and fat samples analyzed in the present study. These findings suggest that a restricted and controlled use of such persistent pesticides may be useful for decreasing their contamination levels in different food items.