Organochlorine pesticides in placenta, blood and breast milk of mothers in Uganda: Concentrations and health risks to breast fed infants

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dc.contributor.authorOmoding, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorNantumea, Teddy
dc.contributor.authorWasswaa, John
dc.contributor.authorOdongo, Silver
dc.contributor.authorKyarimpa, Christine
dc.contributor.authorKarumea, Ibrahim
dc.contributor.authorMatovu, Henry
dc.contributor.authorSillanp, Mika
dc.contributor.authorKato, Charles Drago
dc.contributor.authorNabuumaa, Josephine
dc.contributor.authorMiiroa, Ashirafu
dc.contributor.authorSsebugerea, Patrick
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-27T13:40:47Z
dc.date.available2026-01-27T13:40:47Z
dc.date.issued2025-12-03
dc.descriptionThis study assesses pesticide concentrations in maternal blood, breast milk, and placental tissue across rural and urban settings in Uganda, revealing generally minimal health risks to infants. By documenting persistent environmental contaminants and identifying gaps in rural pesticide regulation and monitoring, this research advances SDG 3 (ensuring healthy lives and well-being) and SDG 6 (promoting clean water and sanitation). The findings further support NDP IV’s priorities for enhancing public health, environmental safety, and regulatory frameworks. These results provide policymakers with evidence-based guidance to develop targeted interventions that protect vulnerable maternal and infant populations.
dc.description.abstractExposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) remains a major public health concern in low-income countries, where historical usage and poor regulation continue to result in maternal and early-life exposures. This study assessed concentration profiles of selected OCPs, namely; p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDD, aldrin, dieldrin, lindane, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, and endosulfan-sulfate in maternal blood, breast milk, and placenta samples collected from 52 healthy mothers residing in the rural Kanungu District and urban Kampala District in Uganda. Analytical quantification was performed using gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD), and compound identity was confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Concentrations of total DDTs (∑DDTs) were 63.0, 27.1, and 35.0 ng g-1 lipid weight (l.w) in blood, breast milk, and placenta, respectively. o,p′-DDE was the predominant metabolite in blood (67% of ∑DDTs), while p,p′-DDE dominated in placenta and milk (34% and 70%, respectively), possibly due to degradation of technical DDT applied in past decades. Other OCPs were generally low (<Limit of detection, LOD to 88.4 ng g-1 l.w), except for dieldrin, which reached 130 ng g-1 l.w in breast milk. OCP levels were significantly higher in Kanungu than Kampala, attributable to ongoing informal pesticide use in agriculture. In general, the estimated hazard quotients were <1, which indicated that the health risks posed to infants due to ingestion of OCPs in breast milk was negligible. Our findings underscore the need for rural pesticide regulation and continuous maternal exposure monitoring.
dc.description.sponsorshipMakerere University Research and Innovation Fund (Grant No. RIF/080/22; MAKRIF/CH/01/21; MAKRIF/CH/02/21), The World Academy of Sciences (20-267 RG/CHE/AF/ AC-G), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Grant No. UGA-1185413- GF-E), Erasmus+International Credit Mobility programme (Grant No. 2022-1-SK01-KA171-HED-000077735), and the Austrian Partnership Programme in Higher Education and Research (APPEAR) under project 249 - Environmental Chemistry for Sustainable Development (ECSDevelop).
dc.identifier.citationOmoding, D., Nantume, T., Wasswa, J., Odongo, S., Kyarimpa, C., Karume, I., ... & Ssebugere, P. (2026). Organochlorine pesticides in placenta, blood and breast milk of mothers in Uganda: Concentrations and health risks to breast fed infants. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 21, 100949.
dc.identifier.issn2772-4166
dc.identifier.urihttps://dir.muni.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12260/901
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.subjectOrganochlorine pesticides
dc.subjectMaternal exposure
dc.subjectDietary intake
dc.subjectHealth risks
dc.subjectNursing infants
dc.subjectUganda
dc.titleOrganochlorine pesticides in placenta, blood and breast milk of mothers in Uganda: Concentrations and health risks to breast fed infants
dc.typeArticle

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