BACKGROUND Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used flame retardants that bioaccumulate in human tissues. Their neurotoxicity involves dysregulation of calcium ion (Ca(2+))signaling; however, specific mechanisms have yet to be defined. OBJECTIVE We aimed to define the structure-activity relationship (SAR) for PBDEs and their metabolites toward ryanodine receptors type 1 (RyR1) a...

We examined uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into various marine sediment feeders relative to physical and geochemical factors transfer higher trophic levels. PCBs exceeding Canadian Council Ministers the Environment Guidelines by 6–55× were found in industrialized harbours some near-outfall sediments, indicating ongoing land input. Sediment correlated with organic flux content. Tissu...

The spatial distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and several alternative non-PBDE, non-regulated brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in air and seawater and the air-seawater exchange was investigated in East Greenland Sea using high-volume air and water samples. Total PBDE concentrations (Ó₁₀PBDEs) ranged from 0.09 to 1.8 pg m⁻³ in the atmosphere and from 0.03 to 0.64 pg L⁻¹ in...

Increased interest in the fate, transport and toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) over the past few years has led to a variety of studies reporting different methods of analysis for these persistent organic pollutants. Because PBDEs encompass a range of vapor pressures, molecular weights and degrees of bromine substitution, various analytical methods can lead to discrimination of...

Atmospheric concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a group of industrial chemicals widely used as flame retardants were measured over the Indian Ocean and represent the first comprehensive data of atmospheric contaminations of PBDEs over the open ocean. Air back trajectory analysis shows that PBDEs have great potential for long-range atmospheric transport to remote regions of...

A series of oxy-polybrominated diphenyl ethers (O-PBDEs) has been isolated from the extracts of Miamira magnifica and Miamira miamirana collected from Queensland, Australia. M. magnifica sequesters the new OH-PBDE 1 and six known OH-PBDEs containing four to six bromines (2-7). M. miamirana also accumulates known tribromo- and tetrabromo OMe-PBDEs 8-10 in both mantle and viscera tissues. To date...

Eggs from aplomado falcons (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) nesting in Chihuahua and Veracruz, Mexico, were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs. p,p'-DDE was the only organochlorine found in all eggs at concentrations ranging from 0.13 to 7.85 μg/g wet weight. PCBs ranged from 0.04 to 2.80 μg/g wet weight and PBDEs from 62 to 798 ng/g lipid weight. DDE concentrations in egg...

BACKGROUND Developing infants may be especially sensitive to hormone disruption from chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). OBJECTIVE We investigated relationships between cord serum levels of PCBs and PBDEs and thyroid hormones measured in cord blood serum and neonatal blood spots. METHODS We measured PCBs and PBDEs, thyrotropin (TS...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) increased in many matrices during the 1990s and early 2000s. Since voluntary restrictions and regulations on PBDEs were implemented in North America circa early 2000s, decreases in PBDEs have occurred in many of these same matrices. To examine temporal trends in the North Pacific, we retrospectively analysed PBDEs and eight non-PBDE flame retardants (FR) i...

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations and profiles in paired sediment-plankton samples were determined along a 500 km transect in coastal British Columbia, Canada. PCB and PBDE levels in sediment were both greater in the industrialized Strait of Georgia than in remote northern sites and exhibited parallel spatial trends. In plankton, recent-use P...