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Maternal risk factors associated with increased dioxin concentrations in breast milk in a hot spot of dioxin contamination in Vietnam

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 24, pages 489–496 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

This study looked to identify determinants of exposure to dioxin in breast milk from breast-feeding women in a hot spot of dioxin exposure in Vietnam. Breast milk was collected from 140 mothers 1 month after delivery. The risk factors investigated included length of residency, drinking of well water and the frequency of animal food consumption. Cluster analysis was performed to identify dietary patterns of fish and meat portions, fish variety and egg variety. Residency, age and parity were clearly associated with increased dioxin levels. Drinking well water and the consumption of marine crab and shrimps were related to higher levels of furans in breast milk. The consumption of quail eggs also appeared to be associated with increased levels of some dioxin isomers in this area. Some mothers who ate no or less meat than fish and mothers who consumed more freshwater fish than marine fish had lower levels of dioxins in their breast milk. However, the type of water and the eating habits of mothers contributed only partly to the increased dioxin levels in their breast milk; the length of residency was the most important risk factor associated with increased dioxin body burdens of mothers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all mothers participating in this study. We are grateful to medical staffs in Health Department of DaNang city, Thanh Khe district hospital, and Commune Health Centers in Thanh Khe district for their collaboration in surveys. This work was supported partly by Project Research from JSPS Asian Core Program, and the Japan Society for the promotion of science (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (25305024) and (25290005)).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan

    Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Muneko Nishijo, Shoko Maruzeni & Hideaki Nakagawa

  2. Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Center, Vietnam Military Medical University, Ha Noi, Vietnam

    Pham The Tai, Tran Hai Anh, Hoang Van Luong & Pham Minh Dam

  3. School of Nursing, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan

    Yuko Morikawa

  4. Vietnam Environment Administration, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Le Ke Son

  5. System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Japan

    Hisao Nishijo

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  1. Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh
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  2. Muneko Nishijo
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  3. Pham The Tai
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Correspondence to Muneko Nishijo.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology website

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Anh, N., Nishijo, M., Tai, P. et al. Maternal risk factors associated with increased dioxin concentrations in breast milk in a hot spot of dioxin contamination in Vietnam. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 24, 489–496 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2013.73

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