Exposure assessment of breast-fed infants in the Czech Republic to indicator PCBs and selected chlorinated pesticides: Area-related differences
Abstract
The aim of our study was to obtain data on the exposure of breast-fed infants to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and selected organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in different urban areas of the Czech Republic. The estimated daily intake (EDI) was calculated for each of the analytes and compared with the respective tolerable daily intake (TDI).
Significant local differences in the sum of 35 PCB congeners analyzed (total PCBs) as well as in the most prominent indicator congeners 138, 153, and 180 values were observed. In all study areas, EDIs for PCBs in breast-fed infants exceeded the TDI of 0.4 lg kg_1 bw d_1 recommended in the Czech Republic.
EDI for HCB exceeded the recommended TDI of 0.16 lg kg_1, EDI for DDT was slightly below TDI of 10 lg kg_1 bw d_1 and HCHs EDI was negligible. The database of analytical results from this study was used for Bayesian modeling of breast-fed infant exposure to PCBs and OCPs during the recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding.