Emerging and legacy brominated flame retardants in the breast milk of first time Irish mothers suggest positive response to restrictions on use of HBCDD and Penta- and Octa-BDE formulations

Abstract

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Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human milk from Ireland: temporal trends and implications for nursing infant exposure

“…The study population, approach to recruitment, sampling, and sample pooling are reported in detail in Wemken et al [16] , 2020. In brief, study recruitment and sampling protocols, adhered (with minor deviations) to WHO UNEP guidelines for developing a national protocol for measurement of POPs in human milk [13] and the study protocols of Pratt et al [15] , 2012. Comparability of study design with the study of Pratt et al [15] ( Mothers were recruited while attending breastfeeding clinics in two Irish maternity hospitals, who also participated in the Pratt et al [15] , 2012, namely University Hospital Galway (UHG) and the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (Coombe), Dublin.…”

“…Prior to this study, the most recent study of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in Irish human milk was based on samples collected in 2010 [15] . Measured concentrations were compared to results from Irish human milk samples included in the third WHO survey that were collected in 2002 [12] .…”

Advances in understanding the effects of in utero exposure to chemicals

“…A problem that arises for some chemicals is how to handle samples with values below the LOQ. In the past, values below the LOQ have been assigned the ½ X LOQ 47,48 or LOQ√2 46,49 . However, assigning a value to a large number of samples with values below the LOQ may not provide an accurate estimate of the true population mean concentration.…”

Reactive and Additive Modifications of Styrenic Polymers with Phosphorus-Containing Compounds and Their Effects on Fire Retardance

“…These FRs dominated the polymer industry in the past, but recently, their application became closely monitored, and it is regulated in many countries due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation issues. For instance, the study conducted by Wemken et al (2020) discovered the presence of different brominated FRs in the breast milk of first-time mothers living in Ireland [ 16 ]. Another work reported the high levels of brominated compounds found in the urban soils from the city of Melbourne, Australia [ 17 ].…”

“…Meanwhile, a positive response to the regulatory rules applied to this class of FRs is evident. For example, the ban on the use of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and penta-bromodiphenyl ether (BDE) resulted in the lower concentrations of these compounds detected in the breast milk [ 16 ].…”