Survey of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Levels in Spanish Commercial Foodstuffs

Abstract

Concentrations of 15 BDEs flame retardants have been determined in a large variety of food samples purchased in different markets across Spain. This is the first time that BDEs 184, 191, 196, and 197; impurities from BDEs formulations; and/or degradation products of BDE 209, have been detected in foodstuffs. Values ranged from <0.01 to 2482 pg/g fresh weight. The highest total BDE concentrations were found in fish samples (median of 189, range of 24-880 pg/g f.w.), followed by oils (median of 119, range of 14.8-2958 pg/g f.w.), meats (median of 75.9, range of 6.82-2518 pg/g f.w.), shellfish (median of 75.7, range of 3.29-677 pg/g f.w.), eggs (median of 73.5, range of 12.8-557 pg/g f.w.), and dairy products (median of 66.1, range of 3.24-1588 pg/g f.w.). The total BDE values found in this study are consistent with research reported elsewhere. They are in the same range as those recently reported by other European and Asian studies and lower than those conducted in the U.S. BDE 47 was the predominant congener in fish, shellfish, dairy products (except butter), and meats, while BDE 209 was the predominant in oil and egg samples. The most remarkable findings in this study were the large contribution of the highest brominated BDEs (hepta- to deca-BDE), and principally BDE 209, to the total BDE concentration found in Spanish foods, except fish and shellfish, and the presence of BDE 184, 191, 196, and 197 in many of the samples. The calculated intake of 38.5 ng/day of BDEs was comparable to intake assessment from other UE countries.

Halogenated flame retardants in home-produced eggs from an electronic waste recycling region in South China: Levels, composition profiles, and human dietary exposure assessment

“…Additionally, the average EDIs of PBDEs via present eggs were also two orders of magnitude higher than the median value (67.8 ng/day) via chicken and duck consumption investigated in the same e-waste recycling site as the present study ). Again, the average EDIs via eggs calculated in the current study were two orders of magnitude higher than the average values estimated in Belgian home-produced eggs (23-48 ng/day) (Covaci et al, 2009), market eggs from Belgium (23-48 ng/day) (Voorspoels et al, 2007), Spain (39-97 ng/day) (Bocio et al, 2003;Gómara et al, 2006), Sweden (51 ng/day) (Darnerud et al, 2006), and USA (66 ng/day) (Schecter et al, 2006). For HBCDs, the EDIs via present homeproduced eggs were two to three orders magnitude higher than those (1.0-80, with mean of 3.53 ng/day) calculated based on market eggs from several Provinces in China (Shi et al, 2009), and were one order of magnitude higher than the values (8.0-16.8 ng/day) reported via consumption of Belgian home-produced eggs (Covaci et al, 2009).…”

“…b Sum of the investigated AHFRs. from Spain (Gómara et al, 2006), Ireland (Fernandes et al, 2009) and Canada (Rawn et al, 2011). For HBCDs, α-HBCD was the predominant diastereoisomers, contributing nearly 100% to ∑HBCDs concentrations in the present eggs.…”

Developmental neurotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants

“…Five tetra-, penta-and hexa-BDE congeners (BDE-47, −99, −100, −153, −154) predominate in human tissues, usually accounting for 90% of the total body burden (McDonald, 2005). Still widely used decaBDEs (such as are also found in the environment (Law et al 2006;Chen et al 2007), where they can be broken down to the lower brominated congeners commonly found in humans (Soderstrom et al 2004;WDEH, 2006); BDE-209 has been detected in some samples of human milk, and in certain foods (Vieth et al 2004;Schecter et al 2005a;Gomara et al 2006).…”

Photocatalytic degradation kinetics and mechanism of antivirus drug-lamivudine in TiO2 dispersion

“…Unfortunately, persistent halogenated hydrocarbons (PHHs) including organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are also associated with fish (particularly oily fish) because of their hydrophobicity. As a result, bioaccumulation of those harmful contaminants may occur in humans through fish consumption intended to increase intake of healthy n-3 LC-PUFA [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”