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DIETARY INTAKE OF PBDES BASED ON CONSUMPTION OF CATFISH IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
Citation:
NGUYEN, L., D. STASKAL, L. L. FERRIBY, E. S. WILLIAMS, L. C. HAWS, L. S. BIRNBAUM, D. J. PAUSTENBACH, AND M. A. HARRIS. DIETARY INTAKE OF PBDES BASED ON CONSUMPTION OF CATFISH IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. Presented at Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Charlotte, NC, March 25 - 29, 2007.
Description:
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as flame retardants in a wide variety of consumer products. Concerns surrounding these compounds are primarily due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment as well as human tissues, coupled with evidence indicating the potential for adverse effects. Despite these concerns, relatively few studies are available in the literature which characterize and quantify intake by humans. In this study, PBDE concentrations in Southern Mississippi catfish were measured in an effort to determine background levels and daily intake of these compounds from a primary food source for residents in this region of the United States. Sixty-one wild catfish samples were collected from local fisherman in March 2006 from five locations in Southern Mississippi and 28 farm-raised catfish samples were purchased from seven grocery markets. All samples were analyzed by Alta Analytical for 43 PBDEs (mono- through deca- congeners) using high resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PBDE concentrations and congener profiles varied by fish type and location. The average ¿PBDE concentration in all samples was 3.3 ng/g (wet weight); wild-caught catfish fillets had an average concentration of 3.85 ng/g whereas farm-raised catfish fillets had an average PBDE concentration of 0.45 ng/g. Using a range of consumption rates for catfish only, average PBDE concentrations, and an average body weight of 70 kg, intake values ranged from approximately 14-66 pg/kg bw for all fish types measured, 16-76 pg/kg bw for wild catfish fillets and 2-9 pg/kg bw for farm fillets. These results provide a reasonable data set describing the current background levels and daily intake of PBDEs from consumption of catfish representative of the Southeastern region of the United States. This abstract does not represent EPA policy.