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The biological fate of decabromodiphenyl ethane following oral, dermal or intravenous administration
Citation:
Knudsen, G., J. Sanders, M. Hughes, E. Hull, AND L. Birnbaum. The biological fate of decabromodiphenyl ethane following oral, dermal or intravenous administration. XENOBIOTICA. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 47(10):894-902, (2017).
Impact/Purpose:
Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) is an additive brominated flame retardant used in a variety commercial products. It has been detected in indoor air, house dust, sewage sludge, sediment and fish. DBDPE is expected to have similar disposition characteristics with decabromodiphenyl ether (a possible human carcinogen), because they share a similar structure and physico-chemical characteristics. The results of the study indicate that dermal exposure to DBDPE contributes a small priton to the total exposure to DBDPE from the environment. Combined oral and percutaneous exposures to DBDPE contribute to the low, but widespread, serum and milk concentrations detected in human populations.
Description:
1. The disposition of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) was investigated based on concerns over its structural similarities to decaBDE, high potential for environmental persistence & bioaccumulation, and high production volume. 2. In the present study, female Sprague Dawley rats were administered a single dose of [14C]-DBDPE by oral, topical, or IV routes. Another set of rats were administered 10 daily oral doses of 14C]-DBDPE. Male B6C3F1/Tac mice were administered a single oral dose.3. DBDPE was poorly absorbed following oral dosing, with 95% of administered [14C]-radioactivity recovered in the feces, 1% recovered in the urine and less than 3% in the tissues at 72 h. DBDPE excretion was similar in male mice and female rats. Accumulation of [14C]-DBDPE was observed in liver and the adrenal gland after 10 daily oral doses.4. The dermis acted as a depot for dermally applied DBDPE; conservative estimates predict approx. 14 ± 8% of DBDPE may be absorbed into human skin in vivo; approx. 7 ± 4% of the parent chemical is expected to reach systemic circulation following continuous exposure (24 h). 5. Following intravenous administration, 6% of the dose was recovered in urine and 28% in the feces, while ~70% of the dose remained in tissues after 72 hours, with the highest concentrations found in the liver (42%) and lung (17%).
