Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers In Tissues Research Articles

Bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediment aged for 2 years to carps (Cyprinus carpio)

In order to understand the risk of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) existing in sediment for years, the accumulation of PBDEs in sediment aged for 2 years to fish was investigated. Simulated aquatic system microcosms were conducted with PBDE contaminated sediment aged for 2 years and carps were cultured in the microcosms for 20 days. PBDE concentrations in carp tissues were analyzed to estimate the bioavailability of aged PBDEs in carps. The main spiked PBDE congeners were detected in sediment even though the contaminated sediment was aged for 2 years. Similarly, the five PBDE (BDE-28, 47, 100, 153 and 154) congeners which probably were bioaccumulated by carp were detected in fish tissues, indicating that PBDEs could be bioaccumulated after aging for 2 years. The PBDEs distribution revealed that the concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in tissues of Cyprinus carpio is in this order of magnitude: gut > liver > gill > fillet. The PBDEs concentrations in fillet were as high as 67.9 ng/g dry wt, in which BDE-47 contributed almost 50% in profile.

Tissue distribution of decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209) and its metabolites in sucking rat pups after prenatal and/or postnatal exposure

Growing evidence has shown that decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) can disrupt thyroid hormones and induce neurological and developmental effects, especially for the fetuses and neonates after prenatal or postnatal exposure. The present study was carried out to examine the effects of in utero and lactational exposure to BDE-209 on the absorption and tissue distribution of BDE-209 and its metabolites in offspring. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were given daily oral doses of 5 μmol/kg b.w. BDE-209 in peanut oil during gestational and lactational period or during lactational period only. BDE-209 and its debrominated congeners were analyzed in several maternal tissues, offspring carcass and neonatal tissues. The occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their time profiles in maternal blood, placenta and fetuses/sucking pups indicated that BDE-209 and its debrominated products can be transferred from mother to offspring via in utero or lactational exposure. Nona-BDEs were the predominant congeners in the analyzed pup tissues, and BDE-206 was the most abundant congener while BDE-197/204 was the major congener of octa-BDE. Then the contributions of transplacental and lactational transfer were compared for BDE-209 and its debrominated congeners. The levels of PBDEs in tissues of sucking pups of the in utero and lactational exposure group were much higher than those of only lactationally exposed group. BDE-197/204 was the debrominated congener with the most significant difference between these two groups and the pup brain was the tissue with the most significant difference of the levels of debrominated congeners. The results provide a basis for understanding the possible adverse effects caused by maternal transfer of BDE-209 during the critical periods of development of fetuses and sucking neonates.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in chicken tissues and eggs from an electronic waste recycling area in southeast China

The levels and distributions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in chicken tissues from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling area in southeast China were investigated. Human dietary intake by local residents via chicken muscle and eggs was estimated. The mean PBDEs concentrations in tissues ranged from 15.2 to 3138.1 ng/g lipid weight (lw) and in egg the concentration was 563.5 ng/g lw. The results showed that the level of total PBDEs (ΣPBDEs) in the chicken tissue was 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than those reported in the literature. The large difference of ΣPBDEs concentrations between tissues confirmed that the distribution of PBDEs in tissues depend on tissue-specificity rather than the “lipid-compartment”. BDE-209 was the predominant congener (82.5%–94.7% of 2PBDEs) in all chicken tissues except in brain (34.7% of ΣPBDEs), which indicated that deca-BDE (the major commercial PBDE formulation comprising 65%–70% of total production) was major pollution source in this area and could be bioaccumulated in terrestrial animals. The dietary PBDEs intake of the local residents from chicken muscle and egg, assuming only local bred chickens and eggs were consumed, ranged from 2.2 to 22.5 ng/(day-kg body weight (bw)) with a mean value of 13.5 ng/(day-kg bw), which was one order of magnitude higher than the value reported in previous studies for consumption of all foodstuffs.