Abstract
Commonly used as flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are routinely detected in the environment, animals, and humans. Although these persistent organic pollutants are increasingly recognized as having serious health implications, particularly for children, this is the first study, to our knowledge, to investigate an intervention for human elimination of bioaccumulated PBDEs. Objectives. To determine the efficacy of blood, urine, and perspiration as PBDE biomonitoring mediums; assess excretion of five common PBDE congeners (28, 47, 99, 100, and 153) in urine and perspiration; and explore the potential of induced sweating for decreasing bioaccumulated PBDEs. Results. PBDE congeners were not found in urine samples; findings focus on blood and perspiration. 80% of participants tested positive in one or more body fluids for PBDE 28, 100% for PBDE 47, 95% for PBDE 99, and 90% for PBDE 100 and PBDE 153. Induced perspiration facilitated excretion of the five congeners, with different rates of excretion for different congeners. Conclusion. Blood testing provides only a partial understanding of human PBDE bioaccumulation; testing of both blood and perspiration provides a better understanding. This study provides important baseline evidence for regular induced perspiration as a potential means for therapeutic PBDE elimination. Fetotoxic and reproductive effects of PBDE exposure highlight the importance of further detoxification research.
Highlights
Used since the early 1960s as flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were first identified as global contaminants in 1987 [1]; they were found in human adipose tissue in 1990; and in 1995 the United States Environmental Protection Agency classified deca-BDEs, a commercial mixture of PBDE congeners, as possible human carcinogens
Eighty percent of participants tested positive in one or more body fluids for PBDE 28; 100% tested positive for PBDE 47; 95% tested positive for PBDE 99; and 90% tested
Our objectives were to determine the efficacy of three body fluids, blood, urine, and perspiration, as PBDE biomonitoring mediums, to assess the excretion potential of identified congeners into urine and sweat, and to explore the potential of induced perspiration as a means to decrease bioaccumulated PBDEs
Summary
Used since the early 1960s as flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were first identified as global contaminants in 1987 [1]; they were found in human adipose tissue in 1990; and in 1995 the United States Environmental Protection Agency classified deca-BDEs, a commercial mixture of PBDE congeners, as possible human carcinogens. Comprised of a family of 209 congeners, these persistent organic pollutants [7] have been used in a wide range of everyday consumer products including polyurethane foam, textiles, plastics, electrical equipment, computers, and construction materials Because they are not fixed in polymer matrices, PBDEs can leak over time into the surrounding environment and be dispersed [6, 8, 9]. Researchers have brought attention to the ubiquitous presence of and human health risks from PBDES, research into the elimination of bioaccumulated PBDEs has been limited to animal studies and to depuration occurring during human breastfeeding This investigation reports the results of a study examining the concentration of five common PBDE congeners (28, 47, 99, 100, and 153) in the blood serum, urine, and perspiration of 20 study participants. Given the increasing volume of research documenting the deleterious impact of PBDEs on human health (see, e.g., [3, 6, 42, 43]), it is important to briefly consider the primary routes of human exposure to PBDE congeners, mechanisms of harm, and depuration of these persistent pollutants
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