Use of Response Biomarkers in Milk for Assessing Exposure to Environmental Contaminants: The Case for Dioxin-Like Compounds

Screening for environmental contaminants in milk is generally conducted by chemical analysis, yet such an approach may be time-consuming and expensive, and is not indicative of the physiological consequences of such exposure. The focus of this review is to summarize those constituents of milk that may be altered by maternal exposure to one of the most biologically active environmental pollutants, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and to develop the case for their use as biomarkers of response. Several chemical and/or cellular components of milk are potentially useful as biomarkers, and may be developed as convenient, biologically relevant indicators of maternal exposure to dioxin-like compounds.