Background/aim The aim is to study the contamination of breast milk (BM) by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the Osh Province.

Methods Determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs: HCH: α-HCH, γ-HCH, β-HCH, DDT, DDE and DDD, aldrin and dieldrin, heptachlor) in breast milk samples of 95 lactating women were performed by gas chromatography on a chromatograph ‘Tsvet-164’.

Results The following OCPs were detected in breast milk samples: HCH: α-HCH, γ-HCH, DDT and DDE, the other OCPs were not identified. Positive results for OCPs were reported in 58 (61.0%) samples. One type of OCPs was detected in 34 (58.6%), 2 types of OCPs in 18 (31.0%), 3 types in 5 (8.6%) and 4 types in 1 (1.7%). α-HCH was found in 23 (39,7%), γ-HCH in 18 (31,0%), DDE in 16 (27.6%) and DDT in 1 (1.7%). The highest number (80%) of OCPs was found in samples of women who lived near the former pesticide storehouses and agro-airstrips. The lowest (20%) – in samples of women who lived in mountain areas. The total maximum concentration of OCPs in breast milk samples was 2.24 µg/L.

Conclusion Thus, children of the women with OCPs detected in breast milk are 7 times more likely to have pathologies as compared to children of women whose breast milk samples do not contain any OCPs. The higher the concentration of OCPs in breast milk, the higher the number of pathologies diagnosed in children.