Determinants of brominated flame retardants in breast milk from a large scale Norwegian study.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), particularly polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are widely present in human populations. In order to investigate human exposure pathways and associations with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, 393 breast milk samples from mothers living in various regions throughout Norway were analyzed. Up to ten PBDE congeners were measured in all the samples, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and BDE-209 in subsets of 310 and 46, respectively. The median concentrations of the sum of the seven most prominent PBDEs (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154 and 183), BDE-209 and HBCD were 2.1, 0.32 and 0.86ng/g lipids, respectively. These concentrations are comparable to the levels generally observed in human populations in Europe. The frequency distributions were quite skewed with long tails towards higher concentrations. Maternal age, parity, education, having a cohabitant employed as electrician, and ventilation were factors significantly associated with some of the BFRs, although these factors only explained a small amount of the variability (R(2) 0.04-0.16). The mothers' diet was not found to influence the breast milk PBDE and HBCD levels. Our results show that sources other than the diet are important for the variability seen in breast milk BFR concentrations and that exposure from the indoor atmosphere should be emphasized in future studies.
Thomsen
Cathrine
C
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: cathrine.thomsen@fhi.no.
Stigum
Hein
H
Department of Genes and Environment, Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway.
Frøshaug
May
M
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway.
Broadwell
Sharon L
SL
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway.
Becher
Georg
G
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway; Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, NO-0315 Oslo, Norway.
Eggesbø
Merete
M
Department of Genes and Environment, Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000378:metabolism*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000378:metabolism; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D009664:Norway; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated