Determination Concentration of Lead in Breast in Lactating Women in Re-gion Industrial Zarinshahr and Effect on Infant

Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 PhD Student, School of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Marine Light, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Department of Environment, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran and Department of Chemistry, Payam-e- Noor University, Sari, Iran.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to determine concentration of lead in the milk of women living in the vicinity of a metal smelter area and the effect of age mothers, parous, birth weight, height, and infant head circumference on the concentration of lead in human milk. Methods: Five ml of 27 colostrum samples from healthy women collected on the 4th postpartum day. After digestion of sample under pressure with of nitric acid and perchloric acid, concentration of lead in samples was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Findings: The mean level of lead in milk nuliparous and multiparous women was 70.64 and 23.73 µg/l respectively. The mean level of lead in milk in women aged ≤ 24 and > 24 years were 68.10 and 22.86 µg/l respectively. The mean level of lead in milk in women of newborns with weighing < 2950 and ≥ 2950 g were 49.59 and 43.70 µg/l respectively. The mean level of lead in milk women of newborns with height of ≤ 49 and > 49 cm were 49.80 and 45.21 µg/l respectively. Also. The mean level of lead in milk in women of newborns with head circumferenceing < 35 and ≥ 35 cm were 27.43 and 62.33 µg/l respectively. Conclusion: There was significant difference in mean level of lead in mother's milk in difference group of age and parous; also there was negative correlation between lead concentration with age of mothers and parous. There was no significant difference and no correlation in mean level of lead in mother's milk in difference groups of birth weight, height, and head circumference. Key words: Lead, Breast milk, Pollution industrial, Zarinshahr, Infants.