Polybrominated diphenylether levels among united states residents: Daily intake and risk of harm to the developing brain and reproductive organs

Abstract

Data on Polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE) concentrations in individual U.S. women were compiled. PBDE levels in adipose tissue, serum, and breast milk from individual U.S. women were found to follow similar lognormal distributions, which exhibited a high degree of variability. The distribution of lipid-normalized PBDE concentrations for all media combined had a median of 47.9 ng/g and a 95th percentile estimate of 302 ng/g. Estimates of congener-specific kinetic parameters were used to calculate the total daily intake of the PBDEs (sum of 5 PBDE prominent congeners, PBDE-47, -99, -100, -153, and -154) that would be required to achieve the measured body burdens. PBDE intake estimates from all routes of exposure were 8.5 ng/kg/d (median) and 54 ng/kg/d (95th percentile). The potential health risks posed by the PBDEs were examined by comparing 95th percentile tissue concentrations in humans (C(human)) to modeled and measured tissue concentrations in rodents that caused no developmental neurotoxicity and reproductive effects (C(rodent)). The ratio of rodent-to-human PBDE concentrations (C(rodent):C(human)) was <1 for alterations of male and female reproductive organs in rats, <10 for neurodevelopmental effects in mice, and <100 for neurodevelopmental effects in rats. If humans are as sensitive as animals to PBDE-induced developmental toxicity, the current margin of safety appears low for a fraction of the population.

Developmental neurotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants

“…PBDEs have been detected in outdoor air, sediments, sludge, soil; in indoor air and house dust; in several food commodities; and in birds, marine species, fish and terrestrial animals de Wit, 2002;Gill et al 2004;Hites et al 2004;She et al 2004;McDonald, 2005;Law et al 2006;Hazrati and Harrad, 2006;Schecter et al 2006a;Chen et al 2007). As in the case with PCBs, they have a biomagnification potential in the food chain .…”

“…PBDEs have also been detected in human adipose tissue, serum and breast milk Sjodin et al 2004;Schecter et al 2005a;Furst, 2006). Five tetra-, penta-and hexa-BDE congeners (BDE-47, −99, −100, −153, −154) predominate in human tissues, usually accounting for 90% of the total body burden (McDonald, 2005). Still widely used decaBDEs (such as are also found in the environment (Law et al 2006;Chen et al 2007), where they can be broken down to the lower brominated congeners commonly found in humans (Soderstrom et al 2004;WDEH, 2006); BDE-209 has been detected in some samples of human milk, and in certain foods (Vieth et al 2004;Schecter et al 2005a;Gomara et al 2006).…”

“…The current greatest concern for potential adverse health effects of PBDEs relates to their developmental neurotoxicity (Branchi et al 2003;Birnbaum and Staskal, 2004;McDonald, 2005). Such concern is motivated by the following consideration: 1) Animal studies, carried out with different PBDEs, have indicated that pre-and post-natal exposures to PBDEs may cause long-lasting behavioral alterations, particularly in the domains of motor activity and cognitive behavior.…”

“…Widespread contamination of the environment by PBDEs, and their detection in wildlife, and most importantly in human tissues, have raised concerns on possible adverse health effects. As exposure appears to be highest in the young, a major current concern relates to the possible developmental effects of PBDEs (Branchi et al 2003;Birnbaum and Staskal, 2004;McDonald, 2005). This article intends to discuss aspects of PBDE's toxicology related to their potential developmental neurotoxicity.…”

Acute exposure to DE‐71: Effects on locomotor behavior and developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish larvae

“…Persistent bioaccumulation properties have raised significant concerns about the potential ecological and health risks associated with exposure to these chemicals. Because exposure appears to lead to higher concentrations in the tissues of young animals compared with adult animals [1], and young animals may have a reduced ability to excrete PBDEs, the possible developmental effects of these contaminants are a major concern [2][3][4]. The early stages of life are often thought to be a time of greater sensitivity to the health effects of environmental chemicals, because they represent a time when many critical developmental processes are underway [5,6].…”