Dioxin in the fat of breast milk measured in women 30 days after childbirth averages 22.2 picograms per gram, a survey by the Health and Welfare Ministry revealed Monday.
If a 4 kg or 5 kg baby, for example, consumes 120 grams of breast milk per kg of body weight, the baby would take in about 100 picograms of dioxin a day, health officials said. This is about 25 times the ministry-set tolerable daily intake of 4 picograms.
One picogram is one-trillionth of a gram.
However, the ministry said it is not hazardous if a baby takes in this amount of dioxin because the breast milk feeding period lasts less than a year and cannot be compared with lifelong intake.
Health officials also said there was no evidence that dioxin intake has affected the health of breast-fed babies.
The survey covered 415 women in 21 districts who gave birth to their first child last year and who breast-fed their babies.
By region, mothers in Shimane Prefecture had the highest average concentration of 29.5 picograms, while those in Okinawa Prefecture had the least, with 13.4 picograms.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.