Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as flame retardants and are universally present in the environment. An exponential increase in PBDE concentrations in the U.S. population have been reported over the last 3 decades. PBDEs 47 (tetraBDE) and 99 (pentaBDE) are the most commonly detected PBDE congeners in the environment and in human samples. PBDE209 (decaBDE) is the only remaining PB...

Sediments from the Belgian North Sea (BNS), the Western Scheldt Estuary (SE) and freshwater watercourses from the Scheldt basin were analysed for eight PBDE congeners, namely BDEs 28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183 and 209. Previously analysed biological samples from the same locations in the BNS and the SE have been shown to contain large amounts of PBDEs. Surprisingly, PBDE concentrations in the ...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), used as flame retardants, have been shown to be increasing in the environment and in human mother's milk. We have earlier reported that lower brominated PBDEs, such as tetra-, penta-, and hexa-brominated diphenyl ethers, can cause developmental neurotoxic effects in mice. Recently, this was also observed with the full-brominated PBDE, deca-brominated diph...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a major class of flame retardants, are ubiquitous environmental contaminants with particularly high concentrations in humans from the United States. This study is a first attempt to report and compare PBDE concentrations in blood drawn from a family. Serum samples from family members collected at two sampling occasions 90 days apart were analyzed for PBDE...

The present study measured eight PBDE congeners' (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, and 209) exposure via ingestion of indoor dust and soil, inhalation, and food consumption. Contributions to PBDEs exposure from different media revealed that indoor dust (dust suspended in air) was not an important exposure route for PBDE congeners for adults in Shenzhen, China. Food consumption contributed mo...

Organohalogen compounds are some of the most notorious persistent pollutants disturbing the Earth biosphere. Although human-made, these chemicals are not completely alien to living systems. A large number of natural organohalogens, part of the secondary metabolism, are involved in chemical trophic interactions. Surprisingly, the relationship between organisms' trophic position and synthetic org...

Objective(s):Bacopa monnieri (BM),a traditional ayurvedic medicine,is a well-known memory enhancer. We have explored the role of BM against decabrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE-209)-induced alterations in neonate and young female mice. Materials and Methods: Mice were orally administered with B. monnieri at the doses of 40, 80 or 120 mg/kg body weight along with PBDE-209 (20 mg/kg body weight) f...

The fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sewage sludge after agricultural application was analysed. This study was based on the analysis of sewage sludge and sludge amended soil samples collected during 2005. PBDE concentrations in sewage sludge ranged from 197 to 1185ng/g dry weight (dw), being deca-BDE-209 the predominant congener. PBDE levels in soils ranged between 21 and 690ng...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been measured in the home environment and in humans, but studies linking environmental levels to body burdens are limited. This study examines the relationship between PBDE concentrations in house dust and serum from adults residing in these homes. We measured PBDE concentrations in house dust from 50 homes and in serum of male-female couples from 12 ...

Marine mussels (Modiolus modiolus) and sediment from 14 stations near a municipal outfall and three reference locations were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to evaluate and compare patterns of bioaccumulation of individual congeners between these two groups of chemicals. Of the 47 PBDEs and 209 PCBs analyzed, 34 PBDE and 153 PCB congeners...