title: Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in human semen.
abstract: Some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been found in human semen but until this point it was unclear whether polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) could be detected in human semen. In this study, PBDEs were found for the first time in human semen samples (n=101) from Taizhou, China. The concentrations of total PBDEs (∑PBDEs) varied from 15.8 to 86.8 pg/g ww (median=31.3 pg/g ww) and 53.2 to 121 pg/g ww (median=72.3 pg/g ww) in semen and blood samples, respectively. The ∑PBDE level in semen was about two times lower than in human blood, which was different in the distribution in the two matrices from other POPs. A correlation of ∑PBDE concentration was found between paired semen and in blood. The results suggest that semen could be used to detect PBDE burden in human body as a non-invasive matrix. In addition, the levels of BDE-209 and BDE-153, especially the latter, were much higher in blood than in semen, while the levels of BDE-28, BDE-47 and BDE-99 were comparable in the two matrices, suggesting that low brominated congeners could be more easily transferred to semen than high brominated congeners. Considering different toxicities among the PBDE congeners, it might be more significant to measure PBDEs in semen than in blood for evaluating male reproduction risks of PBDEs.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, HeBei University, Baoding, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Peng-Yan
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ya-Xian
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yi-Yang
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhan-Fen
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Xian-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Yong-Chuan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bao-Jun
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shi-Shuai
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xiao-Bai
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C477694:2,2',4,4',5-brominated diphenyl ether; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; C517828:hexabrominated diphenyl ether 153; C511295:2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether; C086401:pentabromodiphenyl ether; C533760:tribromodiphenyl ether 28; C010902:decabromobiphenyl ether