An evaluation of the sexual differences in the accumulation of organochlorine compounds in children at birth and at the age of four years

7 páginas, 2 figuras, 5 tablas.This study of the body burden and serum concentrations, of organochlorine compounds (OCs), represents a general population in a cohort from Menorca Island (birth 1997-1998) of children at birth and at four years of age; the study has shown that the concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), 4,4’-DDE, 4,4’-DDT, polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners #153, #138 and #180 and total PCBs in sera collected at four years exhibit much higher values in breastfed children than in those fed with formula, e.g. HCB 0.48 vs 0.21 ng/ml, β-HCH 0.32 vs 0.24 ng/ml, total DDTs 2.2 vs 0.57 ng/ml, total PCBs 1.4 vs 0.52 ng/ml, respectively. Comparison of gender differences in four years old children shows higher concentrations of all examined OCs in females than in males with the exception of HCB and PeCB in breastfed children which are higher in males than in females, e.g. β-HCH 0.34 vs 0.28 ng/ml, total DDTs 2.6 vs 1.7 ng/ml, total PCBs 1.6 vs 1.0 ng/ml, respectively, for breastfed children and e.g. β-HCH 0.23 vs 0.19 ng/ml, total DDTs 0.59 vs 0.48 ng/ml, total PCBs 0.58 vs 0.45 ng/ml, respectively, for formula fed children. Gender comparison of the body burden between children fed with breast milk or formula also shows higher concentrations in females than males, e.g. β-HCH 0.47 vs 0.35 µg, total DDTs 3.0 vs 1.8 µg, total PCBs 1.9 vs 1.2 µg, respectively, for breastfed children, and β-HCH 0.39 vs 0.17 µg, total DDTs 0.48 vs 0.27 µg, total PCBs 0.66 vs 0.55 µg, respectively, for formula fed children. The results may suggest a higher capacity in female children for the retention of OC incorporated through breast feeding. However, these results should be taken with caution because the differences of the gender averages have low statistically significance when evaluated with the Student test.M.C. Alvaro is thanked for her useful advice for the interpretation of results. This research was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Red de Grupos INMA (G03/176) and projects PI041666, PI051987, ArcRisk (FP7-ENV-2008-1-226534) and GRACCIE Consolider Ingenio 2010 Project (CSD2007-00067).Peer reviewe