Brominated flame retardants and perfluorinated chemicals, two groups of persistent contaminants in Belgian human blood and milk.
We assessed the exposure of the Flemish population to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) by analysis of pooled cord blood, adolescent and adult serum, and human milk. Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in blood (range 1.6-6.5 ng/g lipid weight, lw) and milk (range 2.0-6.4 ng/g lw) agreed with European data. Hexabromocyclododecane ranged between <2.1-5.7 ng/g lw in milk. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) dominated in blood and ranged between 1 and 171 ng/mL and <0.9-9.5 ng/mL, respectively. Total PFC levels in milk ranged between <0.5-29 ng/mL. A significant increase in PBDE concentrations was detected from newborns (median 2.1) to the adolescents and adults (medians 3.8 and 4.6 ng/g lw, respectively). An identical trend was observed for PFOS, but not for PFOA. We estimated that newborn exposure to BFRs and PFCs occurs predominantly post-natally, whereas placental transfer has a minor impact on the body burden.
Roosens
Laurence
L
Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
D'Hollander
Wendy
W
Bervoets
Lieven
L
Reynders
Hans
H
Van Campenhout
Karen
K
Cornelis
Christa
C
Van Den Heuvel
Rosette
R
Koppen
Gudrun
G
Covaci
Adrian
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001530:Belgium; D002210:Caprylates / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002210:Caprylates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; C089796:hexabromocyclododecane; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid