title: Fate of higher brominated PBDEs in lactating cows.
abstract: Dietary intake studies of lower brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) have shown that fish and animal products are important vectors of human exposure, but almost no data exist for higher brominated BDEs. Therefore, the fate of hepta- to decaBDEs was studied in lactating cows exposed to a naturally contaminated diet by analyzing feed, feces, and milk samples from a previous mass balance study of PCB. Tissue distribution was studied in one cow slaughtered after the experiment. BDE-209 was the dominant congener in feed, organs, adipose tissues, and feces, but not in milk. In contrast to PCBs and lower brominated BDEs, concentrations of hepta- to decaBDEs in adipose tissue were 9-80 times higher than in milk fat and the difference increased with degree of bromination/log K(OW). The congener profiles in adipose tissue and feed differed; BDE-207, BDE-196, BDE-197, and BDE-182 accumulated to a surprisingly greater extent in the fat compared to their isomers, suggesting metabolic debromination of BDE-209 to these BDEs. The results indicate that meat rather than dairy product consumption may be an important human exposure route to higher brominated BDEs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. amelie.kierkegaard@itm.su.se
authors.forename: Amelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kierkegaard
authors.forename: Lillemor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asplund
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: McLachlan
authors.forename: Gareth O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sweetman
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010647:Phenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls