US EPA

The metabolism of alpha- and gamma-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) was investigated in adult C57BL/6 female mice. Alpha- or gamma-[14C]HBCD (3 mg/kg bw) was orally administered with subsequent urine and feces collection for 4 consecutive days; a separate group of mice were dosed and sacrificed 3 hours post-exposure to investigate tissue metabolite levels. Extractable and non-extractable HBCD metabolites were quantitated in liver, blood, fat, brain, bile, urine and feces and characterized by LC/MS (ESI-). Metabolites identified were distinct between the two stereoisomers. In mice exposed to alpha-HBCD, four hydroxylated metabolites were detected in fecal extracts, and one of these metabolite isomers was consistently characterized in liver, brain, and adipose tissue extracts. In contrast, mice exposed to gamma-HBCD contained multiple isomers of monohydroxy-pentabromocyclododecene, dihydroxy-pentabromocyclododecene, and dihydroxy-pentabromocyclododecadiene in the feces while only a single monohydroxy-pentabromocyclododecane metabolite was measured in liver and adipose tissue. Both stereoisomers were transformed to metabolites which formed covalent bonds to proteins and/or lipids in the gut as evidenced by high fecal non-extractables. Although the potential toxicity of these free and bound metabolites remains to be determined, the presence of distinct metabolic products from the two main HBCD stereoisomers should allow markers to be selected that may aid in characterizing sources of HBCD exposure.

To be submitted to the Environmental Science and Technology Journal for publication.

Hakk, H., D. SZABO, J. Huwe, J. Diliburto, AND L. S. Birnbaum. Novel And Distinct Metabolites Identified Following A Single Oral Dose Of Alpha- Or Gamma-Hexabromocyclododecane In Mice. Heldur Hakk, David T. Szabo, Janice Huwe, Janet Diliberto, Linda S. Birnbaum (ed.), Submitted to: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Indianapolis, IN, 46(24):13494-13503, (2012).