Persistent Organic Pollutants in Human Milk: Exposure Levels and Determinants among Lactating mothers in Lebanon.

Exposure of newborns to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a public health concern. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of POPs in the human milk collected from lactating mothers in Lebanon and investigate the socio-demographic, nutritional, and other lifestyle determinants. Fifty-four breast milk samples were collected as per WHO guidelines. A survey was used to assess the anthropometric and demographic characteristics of participants. Dietary habits were evaluated using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls were measured in milk samples using liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography. Among the screened POPs, Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) was the only POP detected in breast milk samples. DDE contamination was found in 17.9 % of the samples only. Among the latter, the mean DDE was 11.6 µg/L (SD= 5.0) with a range of 5.7-21.4 µg/L. Pre-pregnancy BMI and age were positively associated with DDE contamination in breastmilk. Females who consumed cereals at least two times/week had detectable levels of DDE contamination in their breast milk. Consumption of potatoes and beans at least once/week was also associated with DDE contamination. Our study is the first to assess the presence of POPs in breast milk in Lebanon. The benefits of breastfeeding compensate for the low occurrence of DDEs. Our findings highlight the high need to implement monitoring policies, good agricultural practices, and education programs for breastfeeding mothers.