"Estimation of Dioxin Concentrations in Tissues in Japanese Breast-FED Infant Using A Physiological Model" 

Wakae Maruyama¹, Kikuo Yoshida², Junko Nakanishi²

¹National Institute for Environmental Studies
²National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Organohalogen Compounds, Vol.53 pp.219-221 (2001)

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Abstract

Dioxins such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) enter an infant’s body through breast feeding, and are considered to accumulate more in infant tissue than in adult tissue. However, dioxin levels in infant tissue and its correlation to health risks are not clear. 

For evaluation of the possible health risks of dioxins, we estimated the concentrations of dioxins in infant tissue using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model. The estimated concentrations of dioxins in infant tissue were compared to those in Japanese adult tissue. To investigate the effect of breast milk on dioxin levels in infant, the patterns of dioxin accumulation in formula-fed infant tissue were also estimated by PBPK model.

Keywords

Planar chlorinated hydrocarbons, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins , dibenzofurans, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model