BackgroundHuman exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) is virtually universal in the United States. Although the uses of these chemicals as flame retardants in fabrics, foams, and plastics are well defined, human exposure pathways are not well understood.ObjectivesThis study was designed to assess current PBDE body burdens and identify residential sources of exposure among 29 men and 15 women in 38 households.MethodsPortable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers were used to measure bromine levels in upholstered furnishings, bedding, vehicle interiors, and electronic devices. Vacuum cleaner contents, indoor air samples, and blood sera were analyzed for PBDE congeners using conventional gas chromatograph methods.ResultsBromine levels varied widely within similar household items. The greatest range for upholstered items was found among vehicle seat cushions (7–30,600 ppm). For electronic devices, television sets ranged from 4 ppm to 128,300 ppm. Based on mixed effects modeling, adjusting for couple households, the bromine content in the participants’ sleeping pillows and primary vehicle seat cushions were the strongest predictors of log lipid-adjusted blood serum PBDE concentrations (p-values = 0.005 and 0.03, respectively). The total pentaBDE congener levels found in dust samples and in passive air samples were not significant predictors of blood sera levels.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the usefulness of the portable XRF analyzer in identifying household items that may contribute to human exposure to PBDEs.
Cross-sectional surveys of human blood and breast milk show increasing concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) that parallel the expanded use in consumer products, but longitudinal studies are lacking. We compared levels of major BDE congeners in archived 1994–1995 blood samples collected from a cohort of frequent and infrequent Great Lakes fish consumers with levels in the blood collected from the same individuals in 2001–2003 and 2004–2005. In mixed linear regression models controlling for multiple measurements per individual and covariates, statistically significant increases were seen from 1994–1995 to 2001–2003 for ΣPBDEs and BDE-47, 99, and 153 and from 1994–1995 to 2004–2005 for ΣPBDEs and BDE-99, 100, and 153, but ΣPBDEs and BDE congeners did not change significantly between 2001–2003 and 2004–2005. Changes in body burdens of ΣPBDEs and BDE-47, 100, and 153 in men were modified by BMI, with greater increases in men with higher BMI. Increases in BDE-153 were greater for women than men, and a greater increase in BDE-100 was found in older participants. There was a shift in the congener distribution with a significant increase in the proportion of BDE-153 relative to BDE-47 from 2001–2003 to 2004–2005.
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