TY - JOUR T1 - Fourth WHO-coordinated survey of human milk for persistent organic pollutants (POPs): Belgian results JF - Chemosphere Y1 - 2008 A1 - Ann Colles A1 - Koppen,G. A1 - V. Hanot A1 - Nelen,V. A1 - Dewolf,M.C. A1 - E. Noel A1 - Malisch,R. A1 - Kotz,A. A1 - Kypke,K. A1 - Biot,P. A1 - C Vinkx A1 - Schoeters,G. KW - 2001 KW - 2006 KW - 2008 KW - 2012 KW - Agriculture KW - aims KW - ALL KW - Analyses KW - analysis KW - Animal KW - Antwerp KW - AS KW - assessment KW - at KW - Belgian KW - Belgium KW - blood KW - breast KW - Brussels KW - Canada KW - cancer KW - CHILDREN KW - Chlorinated and brominated dioxins KW - Comparison KW - congeners KW - Countries KW - cross sectional KW - cross sectional studies KW - Cross-sectional KW - cross-sectional studies KW - d KW - data KW - DDT KW - detection KW - Development KW - dietary KW - Dioxin KW - Dioxin-like PCB KW - Dioxins KW - disease KW - distribution KW - e KW - ECONOMIC KW - Eggs KW - environment KW - environmental KW - Europe KW - European KW - EVALUATION KW - exposure KW - factors KW - fat KW - Fats KW - feed KW - Flame Retardants KW - Flemish KW - food KW - Food Additives KW - Food Chain KW - Furans KW - general KW - Germany KW - HBCD KW - health KW - Human KW - human health KW - Humans KW - Hygiene KW - i KW - Indicator KW - Indicators KW - INFORMATION KW - Institute KW - International KW - ITALY KW - Laboratories KW - LEVEL KW - levels KW - living KW - M KW - milk KW - MODEL KW - models KW - Mother KW - mothers KW - n KW - nursing KW - occurrence KW - old KW - older KW - ON KW - organic KW - organization KW - organochlorine KW - Organochlorine pesticides KW - ORIGIN KW - p KW - Paper KW - Participation KW - PBDE KW - PCB KW - Pcbs KW - PCDD/F KW - People KW - PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS KW - pesticide KW - Pesticide residues KW - Pesticides KW - plant KW - POLICIES KW - POLICY KW - POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS KW - polychlorinated biphenyl KW - Polychlorinated Biphenyls KW - polychlorinated-biphenyls KW - production KW - PRODUCTS KW - profile KW - protocol KW - public KW - public health KW - Public-health KW - r KW - region KW - regional KW - REGISTRIES KW - Registry KW - report KW - Research KW - Residue KW - result KW - results KW - REVIEW KW - risk KW - risks KW - S KW - SAFETY KW - Sample KW - Samples KW - series KW - serum KW - Service KW - Services KW - situation KW - STANDARDIZATION KW - State KW - Still KW - study KW - summary KW - survey KW - Sweden KW - Toxicology KW - trend KW - trends KW - veterinary KW - WHO KW - WOMEN KW - world KW - World Health KW - World Health Organization AB - Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemicals that accumulate in the food chain and are toxic to humans and wildlife. The fourth World Health Organization (WHO) survey on POP levels in human milk (2006-2009) aims to provide baseline and trend information on human exposure to POPs. So far Belgium participated in all three previous rounds (1988, 1992, 2001). Whereas the first three rounds focused on determination of dioxins and PCBs in pooled (mixed) samples, the fourth survey comprised the analyses of individual milk samples for nine "basic POPs" (chlorinated pesticides and indicator PCBs) and of pooled milk samples for "basic POPs", "advanced POPs" (dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs) and "optional POPs" (polybrominated diphenylethers [PBDEs], polybrominated dioxins and dibenzofurans [PBrDD/F], mixed halogenated dioxins and dibenzofurans [PXDD/F] and hexabromocyclododecane [HBCD]). For the Belgian participation human milk samples were collected during the summer of 2006 from 197 women between 18 and 30 years old distributed over all Belgian provinces. The individual samples were analyzed in a Belgian Laboratory for "basic" POPs. A pooled sample was made from 178 individual samples and analyzed by the WHO Reference Laboratory for the "basic, advanced and optional" POPs. The results indicate that most organochlorinated pesticides banned 25-30 years ago were below or around detection limits in Belgian human milk samples although DDE was still found at low levels in all samples. Over the last five years the levels of marker PCBs and PCDD/Fs in Belgian human milk decreased, respectively, by 58% and 39%. For some of the other emerging or older compounds recent international data are needed to allow comparison. This shows the importance of international studies as run by WHO. -® 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved VL - 73 CP - 6 U1 - 33812 ER -