title: Exposure assessment of fetus and newborn to brominated flame retardants in France: preliminary data.
abstract: Brominated flame retardants (BFR) are chemicals extensively used in many manufactured products to reduce the risk of fire, but also environmental pollutants. In order to assess the potential risk linked to these compounds in human, a French monitoring study was initiated to evaluate the exposure of fetus and newborn. A previously described multi-residue analytical method was used, for measuring the main classes of BFR (hexabromocyclododecane, tetrabromobisphenol-A, and tri- to deca-polybromodiphenylethers) in various biological matrices. These analyzed samples (maternal and umbilical serum, adipose tissue and breast milk) were collected on volunteer women during caesarean deliveries. Preliminary results obtained on 26 individuals (mother/newborn pairs) mainly demonstrated the presence of polybromodiphenylethers (PBDE) and tetrabromobisphenol A both in maternal and fetal matrices, and a possible risk of overexposure of newborns through breastfeeding. Contaminations levels were found globally in the ng/g lipid weight range, consistent with other published European data. Exposure results regarding highly brominated PBDE congeners (octa- to deca-BDE) appeared particularly informative and non-commonly reported, these compounds accounting for around 50% of the total PBDE load. Additional data collection and metabolism investigations are now on-going. A more complete statistical analysis related to this BFR exposition study will be provided in a next future.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Etude des Résidus et Contaminants dans Aliments, USC INRA 2013, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes, Nantes, France. laberca@vet-nantes.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Antignac
authors.forename: Ronan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cariou
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maume
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchand
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monteau
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zalko
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berrebi
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cravedi
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andre
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Le Bizec
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005333:Fetus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000032:analysis; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; C089796:hexabromocyclododecane; C020806:tetrabromobisphenol A