Scientific Opinion on Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Food EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) (original) (raw)
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Scientific Opinion on Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Food
EFSA Journal, 2011
EFSA was asked by the European Commission to deliver a scientific opinion on polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in food. PBDEs are additive flame retardants which are applied in plastics, textiles, electronic castings and circuitry. PBDEs are ubiquitously present in the environment and likewise in biota and in food and feed. Data from the analysis of 19 PBDE congeners in 3,971 food samples were provided to EFSA by 11 European countries. Eight congeners were considered by the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) to be of primary interest: BDE-28,-47,-99,-100,-153,-154,-183 and-209. The highest dietary exposure is to BDE-47 and-209. Toxicity studies were carried out with technical PBDE mixtures or individual congeners. Main targets were the liver, thyroid hormone homeostasis and the reproductive and nervous system. PBDEs cause DNA damage through the induction of reactive oxygen species. The Panel identified effects on neurodevelopment as the critical endpoint, and derived benchmark doses (BMDs) and their corresponding lower 95 % confidence limit for a benchmark response of 10 %, BMDL 10 s, for a number of PBDE congeners: BDE-47, 309 μg/kg b.w.; BDE-99, 12 μg/kg b.w.; BDE-153, 83 μg/kg b.w.; BDE-209, 1,700 μg/kg b.w. Due to the limitations and uncertainties in the current database, the Panel concluded that it was inappropriate to use these BMDLs to establish health based guidance values, and instead used a margin of exposure (MOE) approach for the health risk assessment. Since elimination characteristics of PBDE congeners in animals and humans differ considerably, the Panel used the body burden as starting point for the MOE approach. The CONTAM Panel concluded that for BDE-47,-153 and-209 current dietary exposure in the EU does not raise a health concern. For BDE-99 there is a potential health concern with respect to current dietary exposure.
Human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers through the diet
Journal of Chromatography A, 2004
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of brominated flame retardants, are used in a variety of consumer products being produced in notable quantities. PBDEs have been detected in environmental samples. In recent years, a marked increase in the levels of PBDEs in human biological tissues and fluids, especially breast milk, has been observed in some countries. As for other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), dietary intake is very probably the main route of exposure to PBDEs for the general population. This paper reviews the state of the science regarding human exposure to PBDEs through the diet. Because of the scarce information about it, it is concluded that studies focused on determining PBDE exposure for the population of a number of countries are clearly required. The correlation of PBDE body burdens and dietary intake of PBDEs are also necessary.
Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2018
Please cite this article as: { https://doi.org/ poultry liver, poultry fat (1045-1860 pg/g). Moderate groups included white or lean fish, poultry meat, poultry skin, eggs, baked products, red meat fat, red meat liver (115-414 pg/g). Dairy and plant groups had low PBDE concentrations. ∑11PBDE variability was high within most aquatic groups. This database supports assessment of dietary PBDE in multiple jurisdictions and identifies important sources for dietary tool inclusion and analyses.
Environment International, 2003
The levels of the brominated flame retardants (BFRs) hexabromocyclododecane (α, β and γHBCD diastereoisomers) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) have been determined in two studies using LC-MS/MS. The methodology developed was validated in-house and used to analyse UK 2004 Total Diet Study (TDS) samples and shellfish (oysters, mussels and scallops) collected from Scotland. HBCD was detected in most samples, and in both studies the αHBCD diastereoisomer was generally the most abundant as opposed to the γ diastereoisomer that tends to dominate in environmental samples and manufactured products. It is reported that selective metabolism or biotransformation of the β and γ diastereoisomers may be taking place. TBBPA was not detected in any samples above the limit of detection, which was as low as 0.05 µg/kg. This may be because TBBPA, unlike HBCD, is chemically bound to the polymer matrix during manufacture so is not readily available for leaching. The UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) concluded that the concentrations of HBCD and TBBPA detected in the TDS study did not raise toxicological concerns and as levels in the shellfish samples were in the similar concentration range, it was concluded that exposure to the BFRs measured is not significant when compared to exposure from the rest of the diet.
Environment International, 2009
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are used as flame retardants in a wide variety of products. As part of the Integrated Exposure Assessment Survey (INES), this study aimed to characterize the exposure of an adult German population using duplicate diet samples, which were collected daily over seven consecutive days, and indoor air and house dust measurements. Our study population consisted of 27 female and 23 male healthy subjects, aged 14-60 years, all of whom resided in 34 homes in southern Bavaria. In these 34 residences the air was sampled using glass fiber filters and polyurethane foams and the dust was collected from used vacuum cleaner bags. The median (95th percentile) daily dietary intake of six Tetra-to HeptaBDE congeners was 1.2 ng/kg b.w. (3.3 ng/kg b.w.) or 67.8 ng/day (208 ng/day) (calculated from the 7-day median values of each study subject). Concentrations in indoor air and dust (cumulative Tri-to DecaBDE congener readings) ranged from 8.2 to 477 pg/m³ (median: 37.8 pg/m³) and 36.6 to 1580 ng/g (median: 386 ng/g), respectively. For some congeners, we identified a significant correlation between air and dust levels. The median (95th percentile) blood concentration of total Tetra-to HexaBDE congener readings was 5.6 (13.2) ng/g lipid. No significant sex differences were observed, but higher blood concentrations were found in younger participants. Using a simplified toxicokinetic model to predict the body burden from exposure doses led to results that were of the same order of magnitude as the measured blood concentrations. Based on these measurements and given our exposure assumptions, we estimated for the total tetra-to heptabrominated congener count an average (high) comprehensive total daily intake of 1.2 ng/kg b.w.
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2008
Dietary intake is one of the important routes of human exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The use of PBDEs may also result in exposure to polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDDs/DFs), as these compounds are impurities in technical mixtures of BFRs and can also be formed unintentionally by the same processes that generate chlorinated dioxins. This study determined the concentrations of polybrominated compounds in common seafood in Guangzhou and Zhoushan, and assessed the health risks of these chemicals via consumption of contaminated seafood. Seafood samples (fish, bivalves, shrimp, crab, and cephalopods) purchased from local markets in 2003 and 2004 were analyzed for PBDEs and PBDDs/DFs. The highest concentration of total PBDEs (46.3 ng g À1 lipid wt.) was detected in fish from Guangzhou, in which BDEs 47 and 209 were the two predominant congeners. The total daily intakes of PBDEs, PBDDs, and PBDFs were, 946, 6.39, and 6.54 pg kg À1 body weight (bw) in Guangzhou, and 489, 4.99, and 7.65 pg kg À1 bw in Zhoushan, respectively. The hazard ratios for PBDDs and PBDFs were both greater than unity, indicating that these compounds may pose some health risks to the local population.
Environment International, 2009
The objective of this study was to assess blood concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and their polychlorobiphenylol (OH-PCB) metabolites in humans with a high seafood intake. Samples were obtained from pregnant women in the Faroe Islands in 1994-1995 and from their children at 7 years of age to examine maternal transfer of the compounds to their child, age-dependent metabolism, and temporal changes. Maternal serum was dominated by 2,2',4,4'tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), while 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153) prevailed in the children's serum seven years later. DecaBDE was present in both mothers and children up to 3 and 6 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. The ΣPCB concentration in the children averaged about 60% of the concentrations in their mothers, with median levels for both above 1 µg/g lipid weight and with similar PCB congener patterns. ΣOH-PCB serum concentrations from the mothers and their children showed ranges of 1.8-36 ng/g wet weight (w.w.) and 0.49-22 ng/g w.w., respectively, with all OH-PCB congener concentrations being lower in the children, except for 2,3,3',4',5-pentachloro-4-biphenylol (4-OH-CB107). Children at 7 years of age are exposed to PCBs at levels only slightly below those of their mothers, and the increased 4-OH-CB-107 concentrations in children could be due to age-related differences in PCB metabolism. The PBDE concentrations were similar in both mothers and their children. The main persistent organic pollutant concentrations in the children are most probably due to other environmental exposure than maternal transfer.