Levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in breast milk of women living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator: Assessment of the temporal trend Marta Schuhmacher a,b , Hannu Kiviranta c , Päivi Ruokojärvi c , Martí Nadal a , José L. Domingo a,⇑ a Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain b Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d’Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain c National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland highlights  PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs were determined in milk from women in the vicinity of a HWI.  Daily intake of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs by infants via breastfeeding was estimated.  The HWI does not pose a significant impact on the local population. article info Article history: Received 12 April 2013 Accepted 21 July 2013 Available online xxxx Keywords: Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) Breast milk Hazardous waste incinerator abstract The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in breast milk from women living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Catalonia, Spain. The results were compared with the levels obtained in previous surveys carried out in the same area in 1998 (baseline study), 2002 and 2007. The current total concentrations of 2,3,7,8-chlorinated PCDD/Fs in breast milk ranged from 18 to 126 pg g 1 fat (1.1–12.3 pg WHO 2005 -TEQ PCDD/F ), while the total levels of PCBs ranged from 27 to 405 pg g 1 fat (0.7–5.3 pg WHO 2005 -TEQ PCB ). In turn, PBDE concentrations (sum of 15 congen- ers) ranged 0.3–5.1 g g 1 fat, with a mean value of 1.3 ng g 1 fat. A general decrease in the concentrations for PCDD/Fs, both planar and total PCBs, and PBDEs in breast milk was observed. The levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PBDEs in milk of women living in urban zones were higher than those corresponding to indus- trial zones (41%, 26%, and 8%, respectively). For PCDD/Fs and PCBs, the current decreases are in accor- dance with the reduction in the dietary intake of these pollutants that we have also observed in recent studies carried out in the same area of study. Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) formed during combustion processes and as by-products of indus- trial processes (Birch et al., 2007; Quina et al., 2011). Polychlori- nated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial chemicals that have been widely used in transformers, lubricants, plasticizers, inks, etc. How- ever, their use has now been largely phased out (ATSDR, 2001). In addition, PCBs are also formed as by-products in combustion processes. PCDD/Fs and PCBs are toxic chemicals that can cause serious health effects such as cancer, hormone disruption, impaired reproduction, skin toxicity and immune system disorders, when exposure continues over an extended period (ATSDR, 1999; JECFA, 2002; Park et al., 2009). On the other hand, polybrominated diphe- nyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used brominated flame-retardants. The general population is exposed to PBDEs through products such as upholstery, building materials, insulation, electronic equipment, combustion processes and also through dietary intake (Bocio et al., 2003; Schettgen et al., 2012). PBDEs have been detected in house dust, leaves, foods and human tissues due to high levels of produc- tion and the persistence and bioaccumulation of PBDEs in the environment (Bakker et al., 2008; Domingo et al., 2008; Domingo, 2012). Causal relationships between prenatal exposure to PBDEs and developmental and behavioral neurotoxicity have been observed in experimental animal models (Costa and Giordano, 2007; Heredia et al., 2012). PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PBDEs can persist 0045-6535/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.07.071 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 977 759380; fax: +34 977 759322. E-mail address: joseluis.domingo@urv.cat (J.L. Domingo). Chemosphere xxx (2013) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Chemosphere journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chemosphere Please cite this article in press as: Schuhmacher, M., et al. Levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in breast milk of women living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator: Assessment of the temporal trend. Chemosphere (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.07.071