| Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE) Levels in an Expanded Market Basket Survey of U.S. Food and Estimated PBDE Dietary Intake by Age and Sex Arnold Schecter,1 Olaf Päpke,2 T. Robert Harris,1 K.C. Tung,1 Alice Musumba,1 James Olson,3 and Linda Birnbaum4 1University of Texas School of Public Health at Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; 2Eurofins-ERGO, Hamburg, Germany; 3State University of New York Medical Center at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA; 4National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina USA Abstract
Objectives: Our objectives in this study were to expand a previously reported U.S. market basket survey using a larger sample size and to estimate levels of PBDE intake from food for the U.S. general population by sex and age. Methods: We measured concentrations of 13 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners in food in 62 food samples. In addition, we estimated levels of PBDE intake from food for the U.S. general population by age (birth through ≥ 60 years of age) and sex. Results: In food samples, concentrations of total PBDEs varied from 7.9 pg/g (parts per trillion) in milk to 3,726 pg/g in canned sardines. Fish were highest in PBDEs (mean, 1,120 pg/g ; median, 616 pg/g ; range, 11.14–3,726 pg/g) . This was followed by meat (mean, 383 pg/g ; median, 190 pg/g ; range, 39–1,426 pg/g) and dairy products (mean, 116 pg/g ; median, 32.2 pg/g ; range, 7.9–683 pg/g) . However, using estimates for food consumption (excluding nursing infants) , meat accounted for the highest U.S. dietary PBDE intake, followed by dairy and fish, with almost equal contributions. Adult females had lower dietary intake of PBDEs than did adult males, based on body weight. We estimated PBDE intake from food to be 307 ng/kg/day for nursing infants and from 2 ng/kg/day at 2–5 years of age for both males and females to 0.9 ng/kg/day in adult females. Conclusion: Dietary exposure alone does not appear to account for the very high body burdens measured. The indoor environment (dust, air) may play an important role in PBDE body burdens in addition to food. Key words: age, dietary intake, market basket survey, PBDEs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, sex. Environ Health Perspect 114:1515–1520 (2006) . doi:10.1289/ehp.9121 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 13 July 2006]
Address correspondence to A. Schecter, University of Texas School of Public Health, 5323 Harry Hines, V8.112, Dallas, TX 75390-9128 USA. Telephone: (214) 648-1096. Fax: (214) 648-1081. E-mail: arnold.schecter@utsouthwestern.edu This study was partially funded by a grant from the CS Foundation, Warsh Mott Legacy. The information in this document has been subjected to review by the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents reflect the views of the agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 23 February 2006 ; accepted 13 July 2006.
The full version of this article is available for free in HTML or PDF formats. |
