| Children Show Highest Levels of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in a California Family of Four: A Case Study Douglas Fischer,1 Kim Hooper,2 Maria Athanasiadou,3 Ioannis Athanassiadis,3 and Åke Bergman3 Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, USA; 2Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Berkeley, California, USA; 3Department of Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) , a major class of flame retardants, are ubiquitous environmental contaminants with particularly high concentrations in humans from the United States. This study is a first attempt to report and compare PBDE concentrations in blood drawn from a family. Serum samples from family members collected at two sampling occasions 90 days apart were analyzed for PBDE congeners. Concentrations of the lower-brominated PBDEs were similar at the two sampling times for each family member, with children's levels 2- to 5-fold higher than those of their parents. Concentrations of, for example, 2,2´,4,4´-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) varied from 32 ng/g lipid weight (lw) in the father to 60, 137, and 245 ng/g lw in the mother, child, and toddler, respectively. Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) concentrations differed significantly between the two samplings. September concentrations in the father, mother, child, and toddler were 23, 14, 143, and 233 ng/g lw, respectively. December concentrations (duplicate results from the laboratory) were 2 and 3, 4 and 4, 9 and 12, and 19 and 26 ng/g lw, respectively. Parents'  PBDE concentrations approached U.S. median concentrations, with children's concentrations near the maximum (top 5%) found in U.S. adults. The youngest child had the highest concentrations of all PBDE congeners, suggesting that younger children are more exposed to PBDEs than are adults. Our estimates indicate that house dust contributes to children's higher PBDE levels. BDE-209 levels for all family members were 10-fold lower at the second sampling. The short half-life of BDE-209 (15 days) indicates that BDE-209 levels can decrease rapidly in response to decreased exposures. This case study suggests that children are at higher risk for PBDE exposures and, accordingly, face higher risks of PBDE-related health effects than adults. Key words: BDE-209, brominated flame retardants, children, decaBDE, house dust, human exposure, PBDE, polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Environ Health Perspect 114:1581–1584 (2006) . doi:10.1289/ehp.8554 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 25 May 2006]
Address correspondence to D. Fischer, Oakland Tribune, 401 13th St., Oakland, CA 94612 USA. Telephone: (510) 208-6425. Fax: (510) 208-6477. E-mail: dfischer@oaklandtribune.com. Funding for the preparation of this manuscript was provided by ANG Newspapers, publisher of the Oakland Tribune and the employer of D. Fischer. Analytical work at Stockholm University received support from the Department of Environmental Chemistry and the Swedish Cancer and Allergy Fund. Ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and should not be construed as those of the parent institutions. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 1 August 2005 ; accepted 15 May 2006.
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