Assessment of toxic metals and trace elements in breast milk of mothers and their health risks to infants: A cross-sectional study in Ardabil, Northwest Iran

IF 3.9 3区医学 Q2 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Food and Chemical Toxicology Pub Date : 2025-03-12 DOI:10.1016/j.fct.2025.115389

Abdollah Dargahi , Hamed Zandian , Fateme Samiee , Shahla Farzipour , Negin Sheikhmemari , Salva Kazemipour-Khabbazi

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Abstract

This research aimed to assess the potential health risks for infants and measure the concentrations of heavy metal substances in the breast milk of mothers residing in Ardabil, Iran. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional in nature. Ten health centers in Ardabil City were selected for the research. The ages of participating mothers ranged from 19 to 39 years, and breast milk samples were collected from those who were 1–12 months postpartum. A 25-item questionnaire was used to evaluate the participants' exposure to heavy metals in their environment and diet. Data analysis was performed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, resulting in a p-value greater than 0.05. The average body mass index (BMI) of breastfeeding mothers was 26.26 ± 3.73. Spike recovery values ranged from 92 % to 106 %, indicating reliable performance within the ICP-MS range. The limit of detection (LOD) during routine sample analysis was 0.001 μg/L. The daily intake (DI) of lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and chromium (Cr) for infants was calculated. According to the findings, copper (Cu) had the highest average concentration in breast milk at 803.94 μg/L, while cadmium (Cd) had the lowest at 1.87 μg/L. Additionally, potassium (K) exhibited the highest average concentration at 490.49 mg/L, whereas molybdenum (Mo) had the lowest at 0.8 μg/L. The average daily intake of Pb, As, and Cr through breastfeeding was measured at 3.39, 0.799, and 3.47 μg/kg-bw/day, respectively. The results confirmed the presence of mercury (Hg), As, and Pb in every milk sample collected from lactating mothers in Ardabil, indicating potential exposure of infants to elevated levels of toxic heavy metals.

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来源期刊

Food and Chemical Toxicology 工程技术-毒理学

CiteScore

10.90

自引率

4.70%

发文量

651

审稿时长

31 days

期刊介绍： Food and Chemical Toxicology (FCT), an internationally renowned journal, that publishes original research articles and reviews on toxic effects, in animals and humans, of natural or synthetic chemicals occurring in the human environment with particular emphasis on food, drugs, and chemicals, including agricultural and industrial safety, and consumer product safety. Areas such as safety evaluation of novel foods and ingredients, biotechnologically-derived products, and nanomaterials are included in the scope of the journal. FCT also encourages submission of papers on inter-relationships between nutrition and toxicology and on in vitro techniques, particularly those fostering the 3 Rs. The principal aim of the journal is to publish high impact, scholarly work and to serve as a multidisciplinary forum for research in toxicology. Papers submitted will be judged on the basis of scientific originality and contribution to the field, quality and subject matter. Studies should address at least one of the following: -Adverse physiological/biochemical, or pathological changes induced by specific defined substances -New techniques for assessing potential toxicity, including molecular biology -Mechanisms underlying toxic phenomena -Toxicological examinations of specific chemicals or consumer products, both those showing adverse effects and those demonstrating safety, that meet current standards of scientific acceptability. Authors must clearly and briefly identify what novel toxic effect (s) or toxic mechanism (s) of the chemical are being reported and what their significance is in the abstract. Furthermore, sufficient doses should be included in order to provide information on NOAEL/LOAEL values.