Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Human breast milk contains high levels of fat and toxins. These substances which exist in our country based on many reports. This study aimed to evaluate the concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the mother’s milk during the first postnatal week.

Methods: This study was accomplished on 50 mothers who gave birth to a healthy infant at Vali-e-Asr University Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from 2014 through 2015. Within the first postnatal week a 20 cc sample of mother’s breast milk was obtained and was sent for laboratory analysis to measure PCB levels via GC-Mass method. Except of PCBs, triglycerides (TG), high-density cholesterol in breast milk was also measured. Also the relation between fat and polychlorinated bi phenyl was assessed. The association between PCBs and body mass index of mothers was investigated.

Results: Mean age of mothers was 29.41±6.14 year. PCB180 was significantly correlated with TG values, while this correlation was not observed for other types of PCBs. There was no correlation between cholesterol and fat high-density with PCBs. Other PCB isomers 138, 153, 180 and 101, had not correlation with triglyceride, cholesterol and high density fat. There was a significant correlation between increasing weight and the concentration of PCB101, and PCB180 concentrations. It was also observed between increasing weight and the concentration of PCB101 (P=0.033, r=0.293) and concentrations of PCB180 (P=0.034, r=0.428), there was a significant correlation. In our study PCB101, (r=0.278, P=0.048) and PCb28 (r=0.328, P=0.021) were significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI).