Total Consumer Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in North America and Europe

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 45; no. 6; pp. 2391 - 2397
• Main Authors: Trudel, David, Scheringer, Martin, von Goetz, Natalie, Hungerbühler, Konrad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 15.03.2011
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical compounds; Child; Child, Preschool; Consumers; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Ecotoxicology and Human Environmental Health; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Pollutants - administration & dosage; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Europe; Female; Flame Retardants - administration & dosage; Flame Retardants - analysis; Food; Food Analysis; Half-Life; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - administration & dosage; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - analysis; Human exposure; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; North America; Parameter estimation; PCB; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Probability; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Toxicity; Young Adult; North America; Europe; America; Persistent organic pollutant; Human; Pollutant; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Health and environment; Flame retardant; Bromine Organic compounds; Exposure; Low volatile compound; Public health; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es1035046

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used as flame retardants in textiles, polyurethane foams, and plastics. PBDEs exert toxic effects in various organisms, including humans, and are ubiquitous in the outdoor and indoor environment. Here we estimate total daily PBDE doses received by consumers in North America and Europe, along with the most important pathways and congeners, and derive PBDE elimination half-lives for chronic exposure. We estimate distributions for all parameters (PBDE concentrations in exposure media, food consumption rates, etc.) and conduct a probabilistic exposure assessment. We find that Americans are exposed the most, likely due to stricter fire regulations, followed by consumers from the UK and Continental Europe. In the central quantiles of the exposure distributions derived, food is the dominant pathway; in the upper quantiles either food or oral and dermal exposure to dust. This reflects the lipophilic and persistent nature of PBDEs and their use in products for indoor-use. Median elimination half-lives are in a range of 1−3 years except for BDE-153 with about seven years and BDE-209 with 4−7 days.