Dataset Information

Evaluating the Use of Silicone Wristbands To Measure Personal Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardants.

ABSTRACT: Biomarkers remain the gold standard for assessing chemical exposure. However, silicone wristbands may provide some added benefits for characterizing personal exposures compared to single biomarker measurements, such as decreased costs, noninvasive sampling, and increased ease of analysis. Previously, we validated their use in characterizing exposure to organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs). However, it is unclear whether these results would extend to chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which biomagnify and have longer half-lives than PFRs in the body. This study sought to determine if accumulation of PBDEs on wristbands was correlated to serum biomarkers. Adult participants ( n = 30) provided serum samples and wore wristbands for 7 days. PBDEs and 6 novel brominated flame retardants (BFRs) were measured on wristbands, and serum samples were analyzed for PBDE biomarkers. Like most PBDE congeners, 5 of 6 novel BFRs were frequently detected on wristbands (?90% of bands). In particular, decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) was detected in all wristbands in this study and was significantly correlated with BDE-209, suggesting a similar source and exposure pathway. Wristband levels of BDE-47, -99, -100, and -153 were significantly and positively associated with respective serum biomarkers ( rs = 0.39-0.57, p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that silicone wristbands can accurately detect personal PBDE exposures.

SUBMITTER: Hammel SC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6445795 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evaluating the Use of Silicone Wristbands To Measure Personal Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardants.

Hammel Stephanie C SC Phillips Allison L AL Hoffman Kate K Stapleton Heather M HM

Environmental science & technology 20181002 20

Biomarkers remain the gold standard for assessing chemical exposure. However, silicone wristbands may provide some added benefits for characterizing personal exposures compared to single biomarker measurements, such as decreased costs, noninvasive sampling, and increased ease of analysis. Previously, we validated their use in characterizing exposure to organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs). However, it is unclear whether these results would extend to chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethe ...[more]

PMID: 30216050

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Project description:Silicone wristbands can be used as passive sampling tools for measuring personal environmental exposure to organic compounds. Due to the lightweight and simple design, the wristband may be a useful technique for measuring children's exposure. In this study, we tested the stability of flame retardant compounds in silicone wristbands and developed an analytical approach for measuring 41 flame retardants in the silicone wristband in order to evaluate exposure to these compounds in preschool-aged children. To evaluate the robustness of using wristbands to measure flame retardants, we evaluated the stability of 3 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), and 2 organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in wristbands over 84 days and did not find any evidence of significant loss over time at either 4 or -20°C (p>0.16). We recruited a cohort of 92 preschool aged children in Oregon to wear the wristband for 7 days in order to characterize children's acceptance of the technology, and to characterize their exposure to flame retardants. Seventy-seven parents returned the wristbands for analysis of 35 BDEs, 4 OPFRs, and 2 other brominated flame retardants although 5 were excluded from the exposure assessment due to protocol deviations (n=72). A total of 20 compounds were detected above the limit of quantitation, and 11 compounds including 4 OPFRs and 7 BDEs were detected in over 60% of the samples. Children's gender, age, race, recruitment site, and family context were not significantly associated with returning wristbands or compliance with protocols. Comparisons between flame retardant data and socio-demographic information revealed significant differences in total exposures to both ?BDEs and ?OPFRs based on age of house, vacuuming frequency, and family context. These results demonstrate that preschool children in Oregon are exposed to BDEs that are no longer being produced in the United States and to OPFRs that have been used as an alternative to polybrominated compounds. Silicone wristbands were well tolerated by young children and were useful for characterizing personal exposure to flame retardants that were not bound to particulate matter.

Project description:Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are now ubiquitous contaminants with large reservoirs and high concentrations in buildings. Most of the information documenting BFR levels has been obtained in residences, and other environments that can lead to exposure have received relatively little attention, including offices that contain numerous BFR sources and where individuals spend considerable time. The aim of this study is to characterize BFR concentrations, potential emission sources, and migration pathways in office environments. We measure BFR levels in floor dust, indoor air, ventilation filter dust, and carpets in ten commercial and institutional buildings in Michigan, U.S.A. The median concentration of total BDEs in settled dust was 8754 ng g(-1), at the upper range of levels previously reported. Especially elevated levels were found in offices in buildings that contained known or likely BFR sources, e.g., computer servers. A trends analysis in a newly constructed building showed remarkable increases in concentrations of BFRs in settled dust and indoor air, and apparent steady-state levels were reached 5 to 8 months after building completion, a particularly striking finding given that the building was constructed and furnished several years after the voluntary phase-out of the penta- and octa-mixtures. Airborne particulate matter collected in a building's HVAC system filters contained PBDEs, including BDE-209, at levels exceeding the concentration of floor dust. In conjunction with estimates of building air flow rates, filter efficiency and other parameters, mass balance calculations for this building were used to estimate the emission rates and reservoirs of PBDEs. The widespread distribution of BFRs found in offices in both new and old buildings suggests the significance of workplace exposures, the need for controls to minimize human exposure, intra-building migration, and environmental releases of these chemicals, and the need for monitoring in new buildings to confirm the effectiveness of the PBDE phase-out.

Dataset Information

Evaluating the Use of Silicone Wristbands To Measure Personal Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardants.

Publications

Evaluating the Use of Silicone Wristbands To Measure Personal Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardants.

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