Flame retardant exposure: polybrominated diphenyl ethers in blood from Swedish workers.
(1/212)
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as additives in polymers and textiles to prohibit the development of fires. Because of the production and use of PBDEs, their lipophilic characteristics, and persistence, these compounds have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The aim of the present study was to determine potential exposures of PBDEs to clerks working full-time at computer screens and personnel at an electronics-dismantling plant, with hospital cleaners as a control group. Five PBDE congeners--2,2',4,4'-tetraBDE; 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexaBDE; 2,2',4,4',5, 6'-hexaBDE; 2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptaBDE; and decaBDE--were quantified in blood serum from all three categories of workers. Subjects working at the dismantling plant showed significantly higher levels of all PBDE congeners in their serum as compared to the control group. Decabromodiphenyl ether is present in concentrations of 5 pmol/g lipid weight (lw) in the personnel dismantling electronics; these concentrations are comparable to the concentrations of 2,2',4, 4'-tetraBDE. The latter compound was the dominating PBDE congener in the clerks and cleaners. The major compound in personnel at the dismantling plant was 2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptaBDE. Concentrations of this PBDE congener are almost twice as high as for 2,2',4, 4'-tetraBDE in these workers and seventy times the level of this heptaBDE in cleaners. The total median PBDE concentrations in the serum from workers at the electronics-dismantling plant, clerks, and cleaners were 37, 7.3, and 5.4 pmol/g lw, respectively. The results show that decabromodiphenyl ether is bioavailable and that occupational exposure to PBDEs occurs at the electronics-dismantling plant. (+info)
Heat stress and flame protective clothing in mine rescue brigadesmen: inter- and intraindividual variation of strain.
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A climatic exposure was conducted for the 52 rescue brigadesmen of a mine while they wore flame protective clothing. We looked for individual parameters allowing prediction of tolerated exposure times in the climate tested. Of all individual parameters, only body temperature at the end of the Stoklossa heat tolerance test and physical fitness showed significant influence on the tolerated exposure time, although not very strongly. Age, body mass, and Body Mass Index showed no significant influence on the tolerated exposure time. It was found during a longitudinal study that the tolerance time within the climate for four subjects showed considerable variations, and so it was decided neither to take the result of the heat tolerance test as admittance criterion for the mine rescue service nor to perform a ranking of brigadesmen with respect to heat tolerance by this test. (+info)
The PBDEs: an emerging environmental challenge and another reason for breast-milk monitoring programs.
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Levels of the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of widely used flame retardants, appear to be rising rapidly in human tissues, as evidenced by studies of human breast milk. The case of the PBDEs illustrates the value of breast-milk monitoring programs in identifying important emerging pollutants, and highlights why such monitoring programs are needed in the United States. A review of the use, occurrence, and toxicity of PBDEs indicates many parallels between some PBDEs, PCBs, and other polyhalogenated persistent organic pollutants, and suggests that the PBDEs may be a significant environmental challenge in the future. (+info)
Potent competitive interactions of some brominated flame retardants and related compounds with human transthyretin in vitro.
(4/212)
Brominated flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), pentabromophenol (PBP), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) are produced in large quantities for use in electronic equipment, plastics, and building materials. Because these compounds have some structural resemblance to the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T(4)), it was suggested that they may interfere with thyroid hormone metabolism and transport, e.g., by competition with T(4) on transthyretin (TTR). In the present study, we investigated the possible interaction of several brominated flame retardants with T(4) binding to TTR in an in vitro competitive binding assay, using human TTR and 125 I-T(4) as the displaceable radioligand. Compounds were tested in at least eight different concentrations ranging from 1.95 to 500 nM. In addition, we investigated the structural requirements of these and related ligands for competitive binding to TTR. We were able to show very potent competition binding for TBBPA and PBP (10.6- and 7.1-fold stronger than the natural ligand T(4), respectively). PBDEs were able to compete with T(4)-TTR binding only after metabolic conversion by induced rat liver microsomes, suggesting an important role for hydroxylation. Brominated bisphenols with a high degree of bromination appeared to be more efficient competitors, whereas chlorinated bisphenols were less potent compared to their brominated analogues. These results indicate that brominated flame retardants, especially the brominated phenols and tetrabromobisphenol A, are very potent competitors for T(4) binding to human transthyretin in vitro and may have effects on thyroid hormone homeostasis in vivo comparable to the thyroid-disrupting effects of PCBs. (+info)
A brominated flame retardant, 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether: uptake, retention, and induction of neurobehavioral alterations in mice during a critical phase of neonatal brain development.
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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used in large quantities as flame retardant additives. In a recent study, we have seen that neonatal exposure to some brominated flame retardants can cause permanent aberrations in spontaneous motor behavior that seem to worsen with age. In view of an increasing amount of PBDEs in mother's milk and in the environment, the present study was undertaken to investigate whether there is a critical and limited phase, during neonatal life, for induction of persistent neurotoxic effects of 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE (PBDE 99). Neonatal NMRI male mice were exposed on day 3, 10, or 19 to 8 mg 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE/kg body weight. Uptake and retention of 2,2',4,4',5-penta[(14)C]BDE were studied in the mouse brain after exposure to 1.5 M becquerel (Bq) 2,2',4,4',5-penta[(14)C]BDE /kg body weight (bw) on postnatal day 3, 10, or 19. Spontaneous motor behavior was observed in 4-month-old mice. Mice exposed to 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE on day 3 or 10 showed significantly impaired spontaneous motor behavior, whereas no effect was seen in mice exposed on day 19. Neonatal mice exposed to 2,2',4,4',5-penta[(14)C]BDE 99 on postnatal day 3, 10, or 19 were sacrificed 24 h or 7 days posttreatment. The amount of radioactivity, given as per mille ( per thousand) of total amount administered, was between 3.7 and 5.1 per thousand in the three different age categories at 24 h after administration. Seven days after the administration, 2,2',4,4',5-penta[(14)C]BDE or its metabolites could still be detected in the brain. The amount of radioactivity in the brain was not higher in mice exposed on day 3 or 10 when compared to exposure on day 19. Thus, the behavioral disturbances observed in adult mice following neonatal exposure to 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE are induced during a defined critical period of neonatal brain development. (+info)
Neonatal exposure to the brominated flame retardant 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether causes altered susceptibility in the cholinergic transmitter system in the adult mouse.
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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as flame-retardants and have recently been shown to be increasing in the environment and in human mother's milk. We have recently reported that neonatal exposure to 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE (PBDE 99) can induce persistent aberrations in spontaneous behavior and also affect learning and memory functions in the adult animal. The present study indicates that the cholinergic system, in its developing stage, may be a target of and sensitive to PBDEs. Neonatal exposure of male NMRI mice on postnatal day 10, to 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE (8 mg/kg bw) was shown to alter the response to a cholinergic agent, nicotine, at an adult age. The nicotine-induced behavior test revealed a hypoactive response to nicotine in PBDE 99-treated animals, whereas the response of controls was an increased activity. These findings show similarities to observations made from neonatal exposure to PCBs and nicotine, compounds shown to affect cholinergic nicotinic receptors. This indicates that PBDE 99 can affect the cholinergic system and might thereby interact with other environmental toxicants. (+info)
A new method for determination of halogenated flame retardants in human milk using solid-phase extraction.
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A method has been developed for quantitation of a selection of halogenated flame retardants in human milk. The method has been validated for seven polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154, and BDE-183, and the halogenated phenols 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TriBP), pentabromophenol (PeBP), tetrachlorobisphenol-A (TCBP-A), and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A). The sample preparation includes solid-phase extraction using an N-vinylpyrrolidone-divinylbenzene copolymer with on-column lipid decomposition followed by additional cleanup on sulfuric acid-silica columns and methylation of the phenolic compounds. Separation and detection were performed by gas chromatography-electron capture mass spectrometry, using a 5% phenyl 95% dimethylpolysiloxane column. The method has been validated in the range of 1.8-180 pg/g milk for most of the halogenated flame retardants. The average absolute recoveries were from 49 to 83%, and the average recoveries with respect to internal standards were in the range of 53 to 121%. Estimated limits of detection were in the range of 0.3 to 1.0 pg/g milk using a sample size of 5 g for all compounds, except TCBP-A, for which the limit of detection was estimated to 6.7 pg/g milk. (+info)
Differential effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls on [3H]arachidonic acid release in rat cerebellar granule neurons.
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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are widely used as flame-retardants, have been increasing in environmental and human tissue samples during the past 20-30 years, while other structurally related, persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (on a TEQ basis), have decreased. PBDEs have been detected in human blood, adipose tissue, and breast milk, and developmental and long-term exposure to these contaminants may pose a human health risk, especially to children. Previously, we demonstrated that PCBs, which cause neurotoxic effects, including changes in learning and memory, stimulated the release of [(3)H]arachidonic acid ([(3)H]AA) by a cPLA(2)/iPLA(2)-dependent mechanism. PLA(2)(phospholipase A(2)) activity has been associated with learning and memory, and AA has been identified as a second messenger involved in synaptic plasticity. The objective of the present study was to test whether PBDE mixtures (DE-71 and DE-79), like other organohalogen mixtures, have a similar action on [(3)H]AA release in an in vitro neuronal culture model. Cerebellar granule cells at 7 days in culture were labeled with [(3)H]AA for 16-20 h and then exposed in vitro to PBDEs. DE-71, a mostly pentabromodiphenyl ether mixture, significantly stimulated [(3)H]AA release at concentrations as low as 10 microg/ml, while DE-79, a mostly octabromodiphenyl ether mixture, did not stimulate [(3)H]AA release, even at 50 microg/ml. The release of [(3)H]AA by DE-71 is time-dependent, and a significant increase was seen after only 5-10 min of exposure. The removal and chelation of calcium from the exposure buffer, using 0.3 mM EGTA, significantly attenuated the DE-71-stimulated [(3)H]AA release; however, only an 18% inhibition of the release was demonstrated for the calcium replete conditions at 30 microg/ml DE-71. Methyl arachidonylfluorophosphonate (5 microM), an inhibitor of cPLA(2)/iPLA(2), completely attenuated the DE-71-stimulated [(3)H]AA release. Further studies focused on comparing the effects of DE-71 with PCB mixtures such as Aroclors 1016 and 1254. Both PCB mixtures stimulated [(3)H]AA release in a concentration-dependent manner; however, the effect for PCBs was about two times greater than that of the PBDEs on a weight basis, but was comparable on a molar basis. These results indicate that PBDEs stimulated the release of [(3)H]AA by activating PLA(2), which is similar to the effect of other organohalogen mixtures. (+info)