Pesticide Residues in Mother’s Milk - Pesticides: Evaluation of Environmental Pollution - page 548

TABLE 17.2
POPs: Uses and Their Adverse Health Effects

Class Chemical Uses Adverse Health Effects

Organochlorine
pesticide

Aldrin Insecticide Cancer, malaise, dizziness, and nausea

Chlordane Insecticide, termiticide Cancer

DDT Insecticide Cancer of the liver and immune system

suppression

Dieldrin Insecticide Liver and biliary cancer

Endrin Insecticide, rodenticide Cancers

Heptachlor Insecticide, termiticide Cancers, mutations, stillbirths, birth

defects, and liver disease

HCB Fungicide Cancers, mutations, birth defects, fetal

and embryo toxicity, nervous disorder,
and liver disease

Mirex Insecticide, termiticide Acute toxicity and possibly cancers

Toxaphene Insecticide Cancer, chromosomal aberrations, and

liver and kidney problems

Industrial
chemicals

PCB Industry manufacture,

coplanar

Cancers, mutations, births defects, fetal
and embryo toxicity, neurological
disorder, and liver damage

Dioxins By-product Peripheral neuropathies, fatigue,

depression, liver disease, and embryo
toxicity

Furans By-product Peripheral neuropathies, embryo toxicity,

and liver problems

time. This is due to the fact that these are fat-soluble or lipophilic (fat-loving) chemicals
and are not excreted in urine. Animal bodies clear these lipophilic compounds slowly
since their half-life is many years. When larger animals feed on the smaller ones, these
stored chemicals are passed along. Eventually, higher concentrations of chemicals are
stored in human fat tissue. For the breast-feeding mother, this is of particular concern,
as chemicals stored in the fat tissue are released into the milk and are passed on to her
infant (Figure 17.2).

Infant High levels

Mother's milk

Animal products

Increasing concentrations
of fat soluble contaminants

Food,
water,
air,

and
soil

Low levels

FIGURE 17.2
Biomagnification through the food chain.