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Environ Sci Technol

Title:		Volatile organic compounds in human milk: methods and measurements
Author(s):		Kim SR; Halden RU; Buckley TJ;
Address:		"Department of Environmental Health Sciences (Room W7014), Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA"
Journal Title:		Environ Sci Technol
Year:		2007
Volume:		41
Issue:		5
Page Number:		1662 - 1667
DOI:		10.1021/es062362y
ISSN/ISBN:		0013-936X (Print) 0013-936X (Linking)
Abstract:		"The present study was conducted to optimize methods for measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by use of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and to provide a preliminary assessment of levels in human milk. MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether), chloroform, benzene, and toluene were measured from two sources of milk: a North Carolina milk bank (n = 5) and multiple samples from three women within nonsmoking households in inner-city Baltimore, MD (n = 8). In Baltimore, indoor air VOC concentrations in the respective households were also measured by active sampling and thermal desorption gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in selective ion monitoring (GC/MS/SIM) over each of the 3 days of milk collection. By application of these optimized methods, we observed median VOC concentrations in Baltimore human milk of 0.09, 0.55, 0.12, and 0.46 ng/mL for MTBE, chloroform, benzene, and toluene, respectively. For benzene, toluene, and MTBE, milk levels trended with observed indoor air concentrations. On the basis of measured concentrations in air and milk, infant average daily dose by inhalation exceeded ingestion rates by 25-135-fold. Thus, VOC exposure from breast milk is vastly exceeded by that from indoor air in nonsmoking households. Accordingly, strategies to mitigate infant VOC exposure should focus on the indoor air inhalation pathway of exposure"
Keywords:		"Air Pollutants/analysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Humans Infant Milk, Human/*chemistry Organic Chemicals/*analysis Volatilization;"
Notes:		"MedlineKim, Sung R Halden, Rolf U Buckley, Timothy J eng P30ES03819/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2007/04/03 Environ Sci Technol. 2007 Mar 1; 41(5):1662-7. doi: 10.1021/es062362y"