Packaging chemicals found in breast milk, says study
by Dominique Patton
06/05/2008

Source: Food Quality News

Contact Information: Food Quality News

Chemicals found in food packaging and other products
appear to be transferred by nursing mothers to their
babies via breast milk, researchers have found.

The new research suggests that mothers may need to be
more aware of the products they are consuming when
breast-feeding.

"Perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, are found in human
blood around the world, including the blood of
newborns, but this is the first study in the United
States to document their occurrence in human milk,"
said Kathleen Arcaro, lead researcher and professor at
the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the US.

"While nursing does not expose infants to a dose that
exceeds recommended limits, breast milk should be
considered as an additional source of PFCs when
determining a child's total exposure," advised Arcaro.

PFCs are suspected cancer-causing chemicals found in
grease-resistant packaging such as microwave popcorn
bags and pizza boxes, as well as fish and other
animals. Exposure can also come from personal care
products including dental floss and shampoo.

The chemicals can linger in the environment and the
human body for years without being broken down.

Several studies have already found PFCs in the blood
of newborns immediately after birth, and in children
between the ages of 2 and 12, who have blood levels
similar to those found in adults.

This led the Massachusetts research team to
investigate breast-feeding as a source of PFCs.

Writing in the journal Environmental Science and
Technology, the researchers describe how they tested
for nine different PFCs. Perfluorooctane-sulfonate
(PFOS), used to make stain-resistant fabrics, was
found in the highest concentration in breast milk,
followed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), used in
non-stick cookware.

On average, each litre of milk contained 131
billionths of a gram of PFOS and 44 billionths of a
gram of PFOA.

However, the amount of PFCs that nursing infants would
consume each day did not exceed Total Daily Intake
Values set by the UK's Food Standards Agency Committee
on Toxicology, noted the scientists.

Arcaro warned though that these Total Daily Intake
values have been derived from rodent studies and may
not therefore be a reliable basis for assessing risk.
The researchers also found that milk from first-time
mothers had increased concentrations of the chemical
during the first six months of nursing. "This may be
related to increased food intake to meet the energy
demands of nursing, and changes in food consumption
patterns in nursing mothers," says Arcaro.

In a Canadian study, diet was shown to contribute 61
per cent of a person's total daily intake of PFCs, she
said.

Arcaro added that potential risks needed to be weighed
against the significant benefits from breast-feeding,
which include better nutrition and immune system
development and enhanced defence against infections in
children.

Environ. Sci. Technol., 42 (8), 3096-3101, 2008.
10.1021/es702789k
Web Release Date: March 7, 2008