ARS | Publication request: Comparative oral bioavailability of PBDEs from dust and oil in male rats.

Submitted to: International Workshop on Brominated Flame Retardants
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 10, 2006
Publication Date: April 24, 2007
Citation: Huwe, J.K., Hakk, H., Diliberto, J.J., Staplet0n, H., Birnbaum, L.S. 2007. Comparative oral bioavailability of PBDEs from dust and oil in male rats. BFR 2000, 4th International Workshop on Brominated Flame Retardants. 04/24-27/2007, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Technical Abstract: Recently, indoor dust has been implicated as a major source of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposure in humans and may contribute more to our daily intake of these contaminants than food. This finding has important implications especially for young children who have the highest dust intake and may be more susceptible to some of the putative developmental effects of PBDEs. The extent to which PBDEs in dust are bioavailable remains uncertain; therefore, we have conducted a study to determine the absorption of PBDEs from dust using rats as a model system. Male rats were fed either dust or corn oil contaminated with a mixture of PBDEs in their feed for 21 days. Adipose tissue was analyzed to determine the uptake of individual PBDEs from the diet into the rats. Tri- to hexa-BDEs were concentrated to a greater extent in the adipose than hepta- to deca-BDEs. Overall, PBDEs present in the dust were as bioavailable as those dissolved in the oil vehicle. These results indicate that dust can be a potential source of PBDE exposure and, depending on the amount of dust ingested and contamination level, may be a significant contributor to daily intake.