Lead and Cadmium In The Breast Milk of Lactating Mothers Living In Hilla City, Babylon, Iraq, During The Year 2012

Abstract

Background In the last decades, the continued efforts of scientists to measure environmental pollutants in human milk is important for defining the true toxic contribution t of these chemicals to public health, human milk is considered to be one of the most important biota to be monitored for the presence of toxic heavy metals.Objectives Determining of lead and cadmium concentrations in the human milk and to identify the associations of certain potential variables with the concentrations of these heavy metals.Subjects and Methods this is a cross sectional study carried out on milk expressed by a randomly selected (68) apparently healthy lactating mothers , who attended Babylon Maternity & children hospital in Al – Hilla city during the period mid of February through the end of April , 2012 . Breast milk was collected and analyzed to detect and measure Lead and Cadmium using atomic absorption. A structured questionnaire was used to report the demographic variables. Weights and heights were measured to calculate the Body Mass Index.Results Means and the standard deviations of the mother’s ages and their Body Mass Index were 26.17±6.49 and 27.78±3.79 respectively. This study revealed that the mean concentrations of Lead and Cadmium in the human milk were ( 25.9±18.4 ppb) (5.6±1.77 ppb) respectively which were remarkably high as compared with the concentrations reported by other studies done in other countries. The study shows that there were a statistically significant association between the high concentrations of lead and cadmium and the followings associates ; living in urban regions ,living near highways , living near industrial regions , drinking river or tap water , being younger(<3oyears of age) or heaver in weight and being cigarettes smokers . The prevalence rates of lactating mothers with abnormal concentrations of Cadmium and Lead were 100%and 93% respectively indicating the serious environmental pollution in Hilla city.Conclusion Breast milk of lactating mothers in Hilla city is abnormally contaminated with; Lead and Cadmium this public health problem need to be addressed.