Infant exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds is higher in Denmark than in Finland

Significantly poorer male reproductive health has been documented in Danish compared to Finnish men, including a higher prevalence of cryptorchidism and hypospadias. Exposure to environmental pollutants with endocrine disrupting activities has been suggested as a possible contributing factor. In this study, we investigated whether there was a difference in milk and placenta concentrations of persistent organohalogen compounds between the two countries. Organohalogens were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry in human milk samples from Finland (n65) and Denmark (n65) and placentas (n168 Danish, 112 Finnish), selected from a population-based cohort. p, p-DDE was the dominant pollutant. β-HCH, HCB, END-I, dieldrin, OXC, c-HE, and p, p-DDT were the other main organochlorines detected. Danish samples had significantly higher concentrations of p, p-DDE, p, p-DDT, β-HCH, HCB, dieldrin, c-HE, and OXC than Finnish. The organochlorine levels were higher in Danish samples, which suggests higher exposure of Danish infants.