BACKGROUND Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants is widespread, with 97% of Americans having detectable levels. Although PBDEs have been associated with reproductive and hormonal effects in animals, no human studies have examined their association with fertility. OBJECTIVES This study was designed to determine whether maternal concentrations of PBDEs in serum colle...

This study investigated the contamination status of PCBs, PBDEs and HBCDs in human and possible exposure pathways in three Vietnamese e-waste recycling sites: Trang Minh (suburb of Hai Phong city), Dong Mai and Bui Dau (Hung Yen province), and one reference site (capital city Hanoi) by analysing human breast milk samples and examining the relationships between contaminant levels and lifestyle f...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are brominated flame retardants that have been in use as additives in various consumer products. Structural similarities of PBDEs with other polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons that show affinity for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), such as some polychlorinated biphenyls, raised concerns about their possible dioxin-like properties. We studied the abi...

Soil and sediment collected in the vicinity of an open electronic waste disposal and recycling facility located in Guiyu, Guangdong, China, were analyzed for the levels of common polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by using soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The PBDEs were detected in the soil and sediment samples at levels of 0.26-824 ng/g (dry weight). The obtaine...

Temporal trends of industrial organic contaminants can show how environmental burdens respond to changes in production, regulation, and other anthropogenic factors. Numerous studies have documented such from the Northern Hemisphere, while there is very limited data literature sub-Saharan Africa. We hypothesized that temporal legacy contemporary Africa could greatly differ regions which many the...

Persistent environmental contaminants including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), non-ortho-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analyzed in 65 meat samples collected from supermarkets across the U.S. in 2001. The samples included hamburger, sirloin steaks, pork chops, bacon, and whole chickens from nine different cities....

The factors affecting the bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in foodstuffs were investigated using a static in vitro model. The results showed that the gastrointestinal digestion increased the bioaccessibility of PBDEs in the intestinal solution. The incubation time significantly affected the bioaccessibility, which increased to about 25% in 4-6 h and reached equilibrium...

BACKGROUND Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent and bioaccumulative flame retardants, which are found in rising concentrations in human tissues. They are of concern for human health because animal studies have shown that they possess the potential to be developmentally neurotoxic. OBJECTIVE Because there is little knowledge of the effects of PBDEs on human brain cells, we inv...

Understanding Branches Out Insights into PBDE Impacts on Brain Development Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants and their hydroxylated metabolites are structurally similar to thyroid hormone. A detailed study now provides one of the most insightful assessments to date of how environmentally relevant levels of PBDEs may impair brain development by interfering with thyroid hormon...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are of great environmental concern due to the exponential increase of the concentrations in the environment, especially in high trophic level organisms, and the trophodynamics of these chemicals in aquatic food webs is an important criterion for assessing their ecological risk. This study analyzed 13 PBDEs in the zooplankton, five invertebrate species, six...