Monitoring of PBDEs concentration in umbilical cord blood and breast milk from Korean population and estimating the effects of various parameters on accumulation in humans

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.08.008

Chemosphere

Volume 85, Issue 3, October 2011, Pages 487-493

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.08.008 Get rights and content

Abstract

In this study, we investigated concentration, congener distribution pattern, and effects of potential environmental factors that affect PBDE accumulation. We also estimated correlation between PBDE concentration and health status or thyroid function by analyzing 90 cord blood and 21 breast milk samples obtained from Korean population. Seven from tri- to hepta-BDEs were analyzed by solid phase extraction-high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (SPE-HRGC/HRMS). The total concentration of 7 PBDEs in cord blood was 2.786–94.64 ng g⁻¹ lipid and that in breast milk was 1.076–8.664 ng g⁻¹ lipid. Tetra-BDE (#47) was the predominant type of PBDE and was present at concentrations of over 40% in both sample types. A weak correlation was observed between the concentration of BDE28 and 153 and thyroid hormone concentration only in the breast milk samples. In children, a weak negative correlation was observed between free thyroxine (FT4) concentration and BDE28 concentration (0.302, p < 0.05), while in mothers, a weak positive correlation was observed between thyroid hormone concentration and BDE153 concentration (0.403, p < 0.05). No significant correlations between PBDE concentration and work and residential environments were found in this study, but a weak correlation between BDE concentration in cord blood and potential PBDE sources was confirmed by investigating the frequency of oil paint usage (0.510, p < 0.001). A weak correlation was also found between PBDE concentration in breast milk during pregnancy and dietary habits such as green tea drinking (0.541, p = 0.025) and Trichiuridae intake (0.565, p = 0.015).

Highlights

► PBDE levels of this study were similar to Asian or European PBDE levels. ► Internal PBDE accumulation pathways were differentiated by sample type. ► Thyroid hormone and PBDE accumulation was positively correlated in breast milk. ► Cord blood samples displayed positive correlation with oil paint or insecticides contact frequency. ► Breast milk samples displayed positive correlation with dietary intake.

Introduction

Since the year 2000, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been the subject of high focus because they cause harmful effects on hormone activity, developmental diseases, and other unidentified activities in the human body (Tomy et al., 2004, CDC, 2006, Legler, 2008, Richardson et al., 2008). Over the last several decades, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs, used as flame retardants) have been the representative and the most widely used EDCs in almost all consumed products, including electronics, textiles, home appliances, office supplies, and inner vehicle fabrics globally and specifically in the Asian region (de Wit, 2002). The chemical structures of PBDE are quite similar to the structures of conventional, hazardous, persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), which have been the focus of many studies on accumulated PBDE during pregnancy and the impact on the health of the pregnant mother and the neonate (Meironyté et al., 2003, Fängström et al., 2005, Carrizo et al., 2007, Main et al., 2007).

To understand PBDE bioaccumulation and to properly assess the risk, it is necessary to determine the toxic effects of PBDE on hormone activity in humans and/or animals. PBDEs are structurally similar to thyroid hormones (THs), such as thyroxin (T4), and it was speculated that PBDEs might mimic TH activity and thereby disrupt TH function in the body (Akutsu et al., 2008). Data from in vitro tests in animals and focused acute toxicity studies (using relatively high doses of PBDE) revealed the correlation between hormones and PBDE, thereby showing that TH activity can be altered by PBDEs (Stoker et al., 2004, Julander et al., 2005). However, research on PBDE accumulation in the human body and its impact on the thyroid gland is still limited at the global and national scale. Thus far, the results of bioaccumulation tests in humans, which showed correlation between TH and PBDE concentration in the blood, were confirmed by only few foreign studies (Hagmar et al., 2001, Julander et al., 2005), and even fewer reports have discussed other human samples like breast milk and urine. The correlations already confirmed are also quite disputable because opposing results have been obtained on a case-by-case basis; further studies are required to confirm the validity of the results (Jugan et al., 2010).

In addition to the described trials that revealed the correlation between PBDE internal accumulation and TH activity, statistical analysis or grouped sampling methods have also been conducted to determine the potential impact of some environmental factors, including occupational or dietary habits, on PBDE accumulation (Sjödin et al., 1999, Sjödin et al., 2000, Jakobsson et al., 2002, Anderson et al., 2008). According to those studies, several factors, including extended computer use and dietary intake of several kinds of fishes such as sport fish were suggested to be strongly associated with PBDE accumulation; however, they did not show any relative impact of the selected factors on PBDE concentration (Sjödin et al., 2000, Jakobsson et al., 2002).

The reported PBDE concentration in the Asian regions are relatively lower than those in other European and American countries, but several studies reported PBDE accumulation in Korean blood and breast milk samples (Sudaryanto et al., 2005, Kim et al., 2009, Kang et al., 2010, Haraguchi et al., 2009). However, the sample size used in most studies targeting the Asian region was relatively small, (i.e., smaller than 30) and these studies did not investigate the potential correlations between TH and environmental factors that possibly influence exposure pathways or internal PBDE accumulation; the studies merely reported distribution patterns and concentration of PBDE accumulation.

Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the PBDE concentration and distribution in cord blood and breast milk in the general Korean population and to examine the statistical correlation between PBDE concentrations and factors that can influence on PBDE accumulation, such as individual lifestyle or exposure pathways. In addition, we explored the relationship between internal PBDE accumulation level and factors such as thyroid hormone activity or dietary intake. For the first time, potential sources of PBDE in human samples were statistically estimated.

Section snippets

Standards and reagents

A mixture of ¹³C₁₂-2,2′,4,4′-TeBDE (#47L), ¹³C₁₂-2,2′,4,4′,6-PeBDE (#100L), ¹³C₁₂-2,2′,4,4′,5-PeBDE (#99L), ¹³C₁₂-2,2′,4,4′,5,6′-HeBDE (#154L), ¹³C₁₂-2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-HeBDE (#153L), and ¹³C₁₂-2,2′,3,4,4′,5′,6-HpBDE (#183L) were used as internal standards (PBDE LCS), while ¹³C₁₂-2,2′,3,4,4′,5′-HeBDE (#138L) was used as a recovery standard (Wellington laboratories, Guelph, ON, Canada). All solvents, including acetone, n-hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol, were pesticide grade (J.T. Baker Co.,

PBDE in umbilical cord blood

Total cord blood PBDE concentration (n = 90) ranged from 2.786 to 94.64 ng g⁻¹ lipid (mean: 16.43 ± 12.73 ng g⁻¹ lipid), which is similar to previous reports from Korean blood (Kim et al., 2009, Kang et al., 2010). Tetra-BDE 47 was the predominant PBDE (49.0 ± 16.7%), followed by BDE99, 153, 100 and 154. The PBDE congener distribution pattern was also not dissimilar to other foreign results. The BDE47 concentration in this study (7.35 ± 5.87 ng g⁻¹ lipid) were lower than what was detected in US samples

Conclusion

The number of metabolic disorder cases reported globally every year is 3000–4000 (Fisher, 1991). Many reasons may explain these disorders, but much evidence points to EDC as a critical factor. In this study, PBDE internal accumulation was observed in Korean breast milk (0.90–8.07 ng g⁻¹ lipid) and Korean cord blood (2.79–85.9 ng g⁻¹ lipid) sample matrices. PBDE concentration of this study were similar to Asian or European PBDE concentration and lower than US concentration. The PBDE distribution

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research project conducted by Korea Food and Drug Administration and research project “Prediction of the fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) influenced by climate change” (No. 2010-0026716) by National Research Foundation of Korea.

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Monitoring of PBDEs concentration in umbilical cord blood and breast milk from Korean population and estimating the effects of various parameters on accumulation in humans

Abstract

Highlights

Introduction

Section snippets

Standards and reagents

PBDE in umbilical cord blood

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

Chemosphere

Neuro. Toxicol.

J. Chromatogr. B.

Chemosphere

Toxicology

Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health

Environ. Int.

Environ. Int.

Chemosphere

Biochem. Pharmacol.

Chemosphere

Chemosphere

Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in human serum and sperm quality

Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.

Hypothyroidism and abnormalities in the kinetics of thyroid hormone metabolism in rats treated chronically with polychlorinated biphenyl and polybrominated biphenyl

J. Endocrinol.

Influence of breastfeeding in the accumulation of polybromo diphenyl ethers during the first years of child growth

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on thyroxine and TSH blood levels in rats and mice

Organohalog. Compds.

Endocrine disrupting polyhalogenated organic pollutants interfere with thyroid hormone signaling in the developing brain

The Cerebellum