Chlorinated pesticide residues in human breast milk collected from southern Jordan in 2012/2013

Abstract

Chlorinated pesticide residues in human breast milk from five southern Jordan districts were analyzed in 2012/2013. The total number of samples from all districts was 100. The number of samples gathered from each district was collected according to their population densities. The present study shows that 59% of the samples which contained pesticides’ residues were p,p’-DDE, 30% contained β-HCH, 10% contained p,p′-DDT, 6% contained α-HCH, 2% contained heptachlor and 1% contained endrin. These human milk samples were free of aldrin, dieldrin, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, HCB, γ-HCH, o,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDT and o,p′-DDE. The levels of the six mentioned compounds detected in all mother’s milk samples were higher in Ghor El-Safi district compared with the other four districts. In this study, it is recommended to continue the pesticides residues monitoring in all parts of Jordan, particularly in Ghor El-Safi district and other regions in the cultivated Jordan Valley.

• Breast milk
• chlorinated pesticides
• residues
• Jordan

Acknowledgements

The authors greatly acknowledge the University of Jordan and Ministry of Environment for help and the Royal Scientific Society for analyzing the milk samples.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This study was funded by Ministry of Environment.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

The protocol of this research project has been approved by a constituted Ethics Committee of the institutions within which the work has been conducted.