Residues of chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides in human milk of Jordanian women.

A total of 411 milk samples were screened for the residues of the following chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides using chromatographic methods: DDT insecticides (P,P'-DDT, P,P'-DDE, P,P'-DDD, O,P' -DDT); cyclodiene insecticides (aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachlorepoxide, cis-and trans-chlordane); hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH, gamma-HCH) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). The milk samples were obtained from lactating women selected randomly from five different geographical regions in Jordan. These regions were North and Middle Jordan Valley, Amman, Irbid and Zarqa.

Organochlorine pesticide contaminations in human milk samples from women living in Amman, Jordan.

Concentration of 15 organochlorine pesticides were determined by capillary gas chromatography in 59 human milk samples collected from the general population during 1989/1990 in the Jordanian capital of Amman. In addition to hexachlorbenzene (HCB), three groups of organochlorine compounds namely, DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorcyclohexane (HCH-isomers) and the cyclopentadiene group (aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, and heptachlor epoxide) were analyzed. The results show that almost all samples contained HCB, beta-HCH, p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT, whereas p,p'-DDD, heptachlor, alpha-HCH, gamma-HCH and o,p'DDT were found in 42, 40, 33, 22 and 20 analyzed samples, respectively.