Organochlorine chemicals in human breast milk in Hong Kong.

The results of a small-scale survey of organochlorine contaminants in human breast milk are presented and compared to previous data from 1976 for Hong Kong, and to reported data from elsewhere. Concentrations of p,p DDT, dieldrin and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in recent breast milk samples were slightly but significantly lower than those in samples taken a decade previously in Hong Kong. However, levels of gamma-HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) were higher in the more recent samples. The concentrations of DDT, DDE and beta-HCH in Hong Kong breast milk remain among the highest reported in the literature. Probable routes of uptake of such contaminants include the ingestion of seafood, as these same compounds have previously been found at high concentrations in mussels from Hong Kong waters. Data for organochlorine levels in breast milk from other parts of Asia are not available, but trends in global pesticide usage suggest that significant contamination elsewhere in the continent is likely.