High lead contamination in Mother's breastmilk in Bihar (India): Health risk assessment of the feeding children.

Lead poisoning in the recent times has caused serious health threats in the exposed human population. It is estimated that about 815 million people are exposed to lead poisoning worldwide and in India total 275 million children are exposed to blood lead contamination. The present study was carried outed in 6 districts of Bihar to know the extent of lead exposure in the children through their mother's breastmilk. The biological samples such as breastmilk, mother's urine, child's urine, and mother's blood samples were collected for quantitative lead estimation. Moreover, the selected household water sources (handpump) and the food consumed by the individuals-wheat, rice and potato samples were also collected for lead quantification. The study reveals that the breastmilk had high lead content in 92% of the samples (highest value 1309 μg/L), in blood presence of lead was observed in 87% studied samples (highest value 677.2 μg/L). In mother's urine the highest lead value was 4168 μg/L (62%) and in child's urine the highest value was 875.4 μg/L (62%) respectively of the studied samples. Moreover, in the studied food samples, wheat had lead content in 45% the studied samples (highest value 7910 μg/kg). In rice in 40% of the studied samples (highest value 6972 μg/kg) and in potato 90% of the studied samples (highest value = 13786 μg/kg) were found with elevated lead content respectively. The hazard quotient (HQ) and the cancer risk (CR) for lead contamination was very much higher in mothers followed by their children. The entire study indicated that lead exposure through food (wheat, rice and potato) has reached the mother's breastmilk and from their it has reached their child's body. This could cause serious hazards in the exposed children causing serious neurological damages, low IQ, low memory, and low mental growth in them. Therefore, a strategic action is required to control the present problem.