Residues of organochlorine pesticides in human milk from mothers living in the greater Harare area of Zimbabwe.

Residue levels of the chlorinated hydrocarbons p,p -DDT, p,p, -DDE, p,p TDE, p,p -DDT, alpha-beta-gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in human milk of 40 Zimbabwean mothers living in the greater Harare area. Three municipal clinics and one main hospital were randomly selected as collecting points. The main organochlorine contaminants found in all the samples analysed were p,p -DDT and p,p -DDE and the mean levels of sum DDT and DDT/DDE ratio were 6 mg/kg milk fat and 0.74 respectively. In general, relatively low residue levels of alpha-beta-,gamma-HCH, heptachlorepoxide and dieldrin were detected in 58,100,63,13 and 65pc, respectively of all the milk samples analysed. Trace of the PCB congener 2,2,4,5,5'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 101) were found in 15 samples and only one sample contained traces of 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 118). The results were examined with regard to health ad living condition of the mothers. From the small population observed around the greater Harare area--social status, educational background an living conditions could be described as important demographic variables influencing the frequency distribution of residual levels of sum DDT in the mother's milk.