الخلاصة

The present study aims to measure some heavy metals (copper, cadmium, cobalt and lead) in the blood and a sample of milk in nursing mothers in Wasit and Najaf, and those concentrations the two provinces were compared. Seventy seven samples were collected of milk divided by (37 samples of Wasit province and 40 samples of Najaf province), and identical other of blood samples divided by (37 samples of Wasit province and 40 samples of Najaf province) of the General Hospital of the districts (The Martyr Dr. Feiroz Hospital, Alasri district of the health center, in Wasit province, and (Zahra Teaching Hospital, the health center of Muslim bin Aqeel (p), the health center for Abasiya) in the province of Najaf, in the period between July and August and September of 2014. The results showed that there is a disparity in the presence of these elements in the blood and milk of breastfeeding mother's. As it turns out that there are clear differences between the two groups subjected to study in both provinces, as the highest percentage of the concentration of elements was recorded in Wasit compared to Najaf. The highest concentrations of the elements copper and cobalt (11.4, 2.19) μg/dl, were recorded respectively, in the blood of mothers in Wasit province, while the highest concentrations of the element copper (1.18) μg /dl, in the milk of mothers in Wasit province, and lower concentration of element in Najaf province recorded (6.37) μg/dl. It appeared there is a positive correlation between blood and milk to mothers for copper, cadmium and counterproductive for cobalt and lead. The average age in the province of Najaf is 25 years old while in Wasit province, 27 years old and the height of the mothers had an average of 158 cm in Wasit and156 cm in Najaf, while the average weight is 66 kg in Najaf and 63 kg in Wasit. The ages of mothers that are younger than 25 years recorded a significant increase in copper concentrate and cobalt in the blood while the ages of the mothers that are older than 25 years, recorded a slight increase in most elements in the mother milk and the highest value was recorded in the copper concentration and was 8.28 μg /dl. However, the lowest value was 0.53μg /dlin cadmium. The present study conclude The mean concentration of heavy metals in human milk and blood of lactating women aged ≥ 25 years was higher than that in women aged < 25 years . Keyword: Heavy Metals, Blood, Milk, Nursing Mothers, Najaf