Persistent Organic Chlorinated Compound Residues in the Breast Milk of Female Seasonal Agricultural Workers

OBJECTIVE:This retrospective descriptive study aimed to investigate organochlorine compounds in women who breastfeed and work as a seasonal agricultural worker (SAW). METHODS:It was carried out on 100 woman working as SAW. Data were collected with a questionnaire by face-to-face interview and analyzed the residues of 27 items of organochlorine pesticides, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) metabolites and polychlorinated biphenyls, from persistent organic pollutants in mothers’ 50 mL breast milk. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and correlation analysis were used to evaluate data. RESULTS:Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)28 component was determined in almost all womenʼs milk and more than half of collected milk contained beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), PCB52, pp’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), PCB70, pp’- dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) ve Gamma HCH, respectively. CONCLUSION:It was recommended that necessary legal regulations and public information policy about that subject should exist.