They study the concentration of environmental contaminants in samples from the breast milk bank
A CIBERESP team at ibs.GRANADA analyzes 242 milk samples from 83 donor mothers, with higher arsenic levels than in other studies in Spain and Europe, similar levels of mercury and lower levels of lead and cadmium
Eating habits, smoking or educational level, determining factors for the levels of these contaminants in milk
In the study, published in the 'International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health', they recommend "routinely monitoring" the presence of these environmental contaminants in milk and giving guidelines to donor mothers to reduce their exposure
The samples from the breast milk bank analyzed show higher levels of arsenic than those found in other studies in Spain and Europe and similar levels of mercury, according to a study by the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) and the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), published in International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.
The work has analyzed the concentration of mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic in 242 milk samples obtained between 2015 and 2018 from 83 donor mothers from the Milk Bank of the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital in Granada.
They have also collected socio-demographic, reproductive and lifestyle factors and hygiene habits of these women. The donors who participated in the study had a mean age of 33 years (range: 19-47 years), 46% were multiparous, 61% had a university education, 29% had a manual job, 42% lived in areas urban, 47% were former smokers and 31% were overweight or obese.
The metals studied are common environmental pollutants to which the general population is exposed mainly through diet, and are associated with various health problems, especially when exposure occurs during pregnancy or the first years of life. Therefore, pregnant women and children are especially vulnerable to these exposures.
As explained by the CIBERESP group leader at ibs.GRANADA, Nicolás Olea, “Breast milk is, by consensus, the best source of nutrition for the baby, providing numerous nutrients and benefits for the infant; but it could also be a way of child exposure to environmental contaminants present in the mother's body ".
In this study, it was observed that most of the samples (97%) had arsenic, 81% mercury, half (51%) lead and 38% cadmium. The median concentrations in the breast milk samples studied were 1,49 μg/L, 0,26 μg/L, 0,14 μg/L, and <0,04 μg/L, respectively.
The CIBERESP researcher Carmen Freire, first signatory of the work, indicates that “Compared to other European and national studies, such as those carried out in Madrid (2003-2004) and Santiago de Compostela (2018-2019), the concentrations of metals in the milk of donors from Granada were higher for arsenic, similar for mercury. and quite low for lead and cadmium.”
Arsenic concentrations were higher in breast milk from primiparous donors, while mercury concentrations were higher in donors with higher consumption of fatty fish and meat and lower in samples from women with higher consumption of dairy products and in those collected after a longer postpartum.
The detection of lead, although in low concentrations, higher in ex-smokers and in women who gained weight after pregnancy
Likewise, lead detection was higher among multiparous donors, those who gained weight after pregnancy and former smokers, and was lower in samples collected more recently and from donors with higher consumption of red meat and eggs. Cadmium detection was higher in samples from donors who reported higher consumption of fried and canned food and was lower in samples from donors who consumed bread more frequently.
Given these results, Nicolás Olea considers that “As suggested by the European initiative on Human Biomonitoring (HBM4EU), given the vulnerability of infants and especially hospitalized premature babies who receive milk from the bank, it would be necessary to routinely monitor the presence of these environmental toxins in milk and give recommendations on healthy habits to donor mothers”.
Reference article:
Concentrations and determinants of lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic in pooled donor breast milk in Spain
Carmen Freire, Luz Maria Iribarne-Durán, Fernando Gil, Pablo Olmedo, Laura Serrano-López, Manuela Peña-Caballero, José Antonio Hurtado, Nelva E Alvarado-González, Mariana F Fernández, Francisco M Peinado, Francisco Artacho-Cordón, Nicolás Olea . International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. PMID: 34974272 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113914
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1438463921002297?via%3Dihub
