Onyena Amarachi Paschaline, Bede-Ojimadu Onyinyechi, Abaate Taagbara Jolly, Amachree Dokuboba, Frazzoli Chiara, Folorunso Opeyemi M, Bocca Beatrice, Orisakwe Orish E
Department of Environmental Management and Pollution, Faculty of Environmental Management, Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, Nigeria.
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kampala International University, Uganda.
Curr Res Toxicol. 2024 Nov 13;7:100201. doi: 10.1016/j.crtox.2024.100201. eCollection 2024.
Breast milk, a fundamental component of infant nutrition, may serve as a reservoir for various metal(loid)s, which could pose significant health risks to infants of mothers exposed to toxic metals. Human exposure levels to metal(loid)s vary across regions, influenced by differences in diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors. This systematic review compares metal(loid) concentrations in breast milk from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Mediterranean Europe (Med. Europe), identifying key determinants of exposure. PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for articles reporting metal concentrations in human breast milk samples from SSA and Med. Europe. Weighted mean concentrations were estimated and compared between the two regions. Twenty-five studies from SSA and seventeen from Med. Europe were included in the review. Mean concentrations of cadmium (12.38 ± 1.21 µg/L vs 0.22 ± 0.51 µg/L; p < 0.0001), lead (14.96 ± 8.10 µg/L vs 1.16 ± 4.00 µg/L; p < 0.0001), and mercury (2.01 ± 1.37 µg/L vs 0.95 ± 4.32 µg/L; p = 0.008) were higher in breast milk samples from SSA than Med. Europe. Conversely, breast milk samples from SSA had lower concentrations of selenium (7.38 ± 2.67 µg/L vs 13.09 ± 16.89 µg/L; p < 0.0001) and iron (138.78 ± 106.33 µg/L vs 371.97 ± 446.74 µg/L; p < 0.0001) than those from Med. Europe. Key determinants of metal(loid)s levels in breast milk included maternal smoking, dietary patterns, and environmental exposure. There is an urgent need for effective interventions and policies to reduce metals exposure, particularly in SSA, to safeguard maternal and infant health.
母乳是婴儿营养的基本组成部分，可能成为各种金属（类金属）的储存库，这可能对接触有毒金属的母亲所生婴儿构成重大健康风险。人类对金属（类金属）的接触水平因地区而异，受饮食、生活方式和环境因素差异的影响。本系统评价比较了撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）和地中海欧洲（Med. Europe）母乳中的金属（类金属）浓度，确定了接触的关键决定因素。在PubMed、Scopus和谷歌学术上搜索了报告SSA和Med. Europe人类母乳样本中金属浓度的文章。估计并比较了两个地区的加权平均浓度。该评价纳入了来自SSA的25项研究和来自Med. Europe的17项研究。SSA母乳样本中镉（12.38 ± 1.21 µg/L对0.22 ± 0.51 µg/L；p < 0.0001）、铅（14.96 ± 8.10 µg/L对1.16 ± 4.00 µg/L；p < 0.0001）和汞（2.01 ± 1.37 µg/L对0.95 ± 4.32 µg/L；p = 0.008）的平均浓度高于Med. Europe。相反，SSA的母乳样本中硒（7.38 ± 2.67 µg/L对13.09 ± 16.89 µg/L；p < 0.0001）和铁（138.78 ± 106.33 µg/L对371.97 ± 446.74 µg/L；p < 0.0001）的浓度低于Med. Europe。母乳中金属（类金属）水平的关键决定因素包括母亲吸烟、饮食模式和环境暴露。迫切需要采取有效的干预措施和政策来减少金属暴露，特别是在SSA，以保障母婴健康。
