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PBDES IN US HUMANS, FOOD, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES
Citation:
Schecter, A., O. Papke, J. Ryan, L S. Birnbaum, D. Staskal, AND K. C. Tung. PBDES IN US HUMANS, FOOD, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES. Presented at Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 06 - 10, 2005.
Description:
Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants were measured in US human milk and blood, food and environmental samples. All 59 milk samples were positive for multiple congeners measured. Milk was collected beginning in 2001 from various locations in the US. PBDEs varied from 6.2 to 419 ppb lipid. In blood, we found levels from 5.4 to 351 in our first 29 individual analyses. In this series men had lower levels than women. Two samples of pooled blood from 100 people each had levels of 78 and 80 ppb lipid in 2003, similar to that observed in pooled serum from 100 people the same year, 62 ppb lipid. In contrast, the concentration in a pooled archived serum sample from 100 people in 1973 was only 0.8 ppb lipid. This increasing trend is opposite to that observed for dioxins and PCBs. Thirty foods of animal origin from Texas supermarkets all tested positive for multiple congeners, including the fully brominated BDE 209 congener, with highest levels in fish (especially salmon), followed by meat and then dairy. Daily intake of PBDEs was estimated to be 163,200 pg/kg body weight daily in nursing infants during the first year of life, approximately 4,800 pg/kg body weight for ages 2-5, and approximately 1,200 pg/kg BW daily for ages > 49 years. Unlike dioxins and PCBs where almost all intake is from the route of consumption of animal food, it has been speculated that respiratory and dermal intake may contribute a greater portion of intake for PBDEs. Therefore, we also measured PBDEs in swipes from computer and computer monitor casings and in carpet vacuum sweepings. All samples were positive. Comparing our findings with other recent studies, we conclude that the highest levels of PBDEs in human milk, blood and in food worldwide exist in the USA. (This abstract does not reflect Agency policy.)