PBDE concentrations in women's serum and fecundability.
BACKGROUND
Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants is widespread, with 97% of Americans having detectable levels. Although PBDEs have been associated with reproductive and hormonal effects in animals, no human studies have examined their association with fertility.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to determine whether maternal concentrations of PBDEs in serum collected during pregnancy are associated with time to pregnancy and menstrual cycle characteristics.


METHODS
Pregnant women (n = 223) living in a low-income, predominantly Mexican-immigrant community in California were interviewed to determine how many months they took to become pregnant. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for PBDEs. PBDE concentrations were lipid adjusted and log10 transformed. Analyses were limited to PBDE congeners detected in > 75% of the population (BDEs 47, 99, 100, 153). Cox proportional hazards models modified for discrete time were used to obtain fecundability odds ratios (fORs) for the association of PBDEs and time to pregnancy.


RESULTS
We detected all four congeners in > 97% of women. Increasing levels of BDEs 47, 99, 100, 153 and the sum of these four congeners were all associated with longer time to pregnancy. We observed significantly reduced fORs for BDE-100 [adjusted fOR = 0.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.4-0.9], BDE-153 (adjusted fOR = 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.8), and the sum of the four congeners (adjusted fOR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5-1.0). PBDEs were not associated with menstrual cycle characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
We found significant decreases in fecundability associated with PBDE exposure in women. Future studies are needed to replicate and confirm this finding.
Harley
Kim G
KG
Center for Children's Environmental Health Research, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
Marks
Amy R
AR
Chevrier
Jonathan
J
Bradman
Asa
A
Sjödin
Andreas
A
Eskenazi
Brenda
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers