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The current study aimed to examine the quality of breast milk in Kenitra city (Morocco), regarding its levels of essential elements Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), and Zinc (Zn) and heavy metals chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), besides carried out the inter-element correlation and investigated their association with some sociodemographic parameters of lactating women. For this, a total of 95 (n = 95) samples of breast milk were collected, at the second postpartum month from mothers in five governmental health care centres in Kenitra. After total mineralisation, human milk sample analysis was conducted by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for the essential elements detection, and heavy metal quantification was performed by using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer with a graphite furnace. Mean levels of Fe, Cu and Zn were 0.43, 0.26 and 6.11 mg/L, while the main concentrations of Cr, Pb and Cd were 8.84, 3.20 and 0.60 µg/L, respectively. Statistical analysis had proved a highly significant correlation between surveyed elements, especially between Cu and Zn, Pb and Cd, besides the strong relationship between the essential elements mentioned before and the heavy metals. Moreover, breast milk elements are most affected by sociodemographic parameters, principally the body mass index (BMI) of mothers, dietary habits and newborn gender. Moreover, 6.46% and 27.37% of samples are exceeded the recommended limits for Cd and Pb, respectively, which verify the low contamination of surveyed breast milk samples. Whereas, the mean values of Cr and Zn were above the limits recommended by the word human organisation, but so far there are no reports of adverse effects on newborns at those reported doses. These data justify the requirement to set surveillance policies by health organisations with the purpose of limit maternal and foetal exposure to heavy metals and strengthen health education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in human milk is an indicator of the level of these substances in the environment and enables evaluation of the potential exposure of breastfed children. POPs concentrations in a Moroccan human milk pooled sample (59 donors) were determined for the first time by the WHO reference laboratory to provide a baseline and allow monitoring of the future trends for those persistent organohalogen compounds. Eighty-one different POPs, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) were identified and quantified by using gas chromatography (GC) with an electron capture detector (ECD) and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/LRMS). The obtained results showed that the sum of DDT (sum of o,p'-DDD, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDE, o,p'-DDT, and p,p′-DDT) was 237.9 ng/g, representing 94.0% of all detected OCPs levels, with a dominance of p,p′-DDE, and p,p′-DDT. Cis-heptachlor epoxide, HCB, and HCH were found at much lower levels. PCB indicator level was 60.7 ng/g of lipid, with the dominance of PCB 138, PCB 153, and PCB 180, presenting 98.3% of the total. Among the 25 PBDE congeners quantified, BDE-47, BDE-153, BDE-197, and BDE-207 were the dominant congeners account for 15.4% of the total concentration of PBDE (1.3 pg/g lipid). The lipid-adjusted level of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs expressed in Toxic Equivalents (TEQs: 6.65 pg/g) were lower in comparison to those found in the other countries. In summary, detected POPs levels in Moroccan human milk were much lower compared to the other countries, reflecting the effectiveness of the compliance with Stockholm Convention requirements on eliminating or reducing emissions of selected POPs. Continued monitoring is needed for these compounds, for which this is the first data available, provided by the WHO/UNEP survey in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]