Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDE) in human milk from Bizerte, Tunisia.

Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) were determined in 36 human milk samples collected in 2010 from healthy mothers living in Bizerte region from Tunisia. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry working with negative ion chemical ionization (GC-NCI-MS) was used to identify and quantify residue levels on a lipid basis of organo-brominated compounds. Among the 8 examined MeO-PBDE congeners 6-MeO-BDE-47, 2'-MeO-BDE-68, 4'-MeO-BDE-49 and 5'-MeO-BDE-100 were detected in human milk at different levels and frequencies. This is the first study reporting 5'-MeO-BDE-100 and 4'-MeO-BDE-49 levels in human milk samples. Levels of ∑MeO-PBDEs ranged from 0.23 to 4.70ngg(-)(1) lipid weight (lw) in the samples, with a mean and median value of 1.52 and 1.11ngg(-1)lw respectively. Concentrations of ∑MeO-PBDEs in human milk were negatively correlated with age of primapara mothers (p<0.05) and no age-dependency was observed for multipara mothers. Primapara mothers had higher levels of MeO-PBDEs than multipara mothers however no statistical significance was observed. A weak correlation between ∑PBDEs and ∑MeO-PBDEs was found but not between BDE-47 and its methoxylated analog 6-MeO-BDE-47, suggesting differences in exposure pathways for these contaminants in humans and further supporting the hypothesis that MeO-PBDEs were likely not only originated from PBDE precursors.

Ben Hassine S ，Ben Ameur W ，Eljarrat E ，Barceló D ，Touil S ，Driss MR ... -  《-》

Determination of chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in human milk from Bizerte (Tunisia) in 2010.

Thirty persistent organohalogen compounds including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in breast milk samples (n=36) of primipara and multipara mothers from Bizerte in 2010. The analytical procedure involved the application of liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD) or mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS) for identification and quantification. Organohalogen compounds were found in all the analyzed samples, with predominance of p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, HCB and PCBs. The mean concentration of ∑DDTs in breast milk was 1163.9 ng g(-1) lipid wt. The ratio of p,p'-DDE/p,p'-DDT was low, suggesting that there is fresh intake of commercial DDT products in Bizerte. The mean levels of HCB and PCB were 286.8 and 331.2 ng g(-1) lipid wt respectively. These results were compared with the levels obtained in a previous study carried out in the same area in 2003. A general decrease of ∑DDTs levels and an increase of PCB levels were observed. Among the 10 PBDE congeners evaluated, BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-66, BDE-138, BDE-100, BDE-154, BDE-153, and BDE-183 were detected in the analyzed samples at different frequency. The total PBDE concentrations ranged from 2.5 to 22.6 ng g(-1) lipid wt in the samples, with a mean and median value of 10.7 and 9.8 ng g(-1) lipid wt respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first data of PBDEs in Tunisian human milk. The present study shows that age and parity are factors influencing the levels of some organohalogen compounds in human milk.

Hassine SB ，Ameur WB ，Gandoura N ，Driss MR ... -  《-》

Occurrence and congener specific profiles of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their hydroxylated and methoxylated derivatives in breast milk from Catalonia.

Lacorte S ，Ikonomou MG 《-》

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in matched samples of human milk, dust and indoor air.

Toms LM ，Hearn L ，Kennedy K ，Harden F ，Bartkow M ，Temme C ，Mueller JF ... -  《-》

"One-shot" analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their hydroxylated and methoxylated analogs in human breast milk and serum using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their hydroxylated (OH-BDE) and methoxylated (MeO-BDE) analogs in humans is an area of high interest to scientists and the public due to their neurotoxic and endocrine disrupting effects. Consequently, there is a rise in the investigation of the occurrence of these three classes of compounds together in environmental matrices and in humans in order to understand their bioaccumulation patterns. Analysis of PBDEs, OH-BDEs, and MeO-BDEs using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) can be accomplished simultaneously, but detection limits for PBDEs and MeO-BDEs in LC-MS is insufficient for trace level quantification. Therefore, fractionation steps of the phenolic (OH-BDEs) and neutral (PBDEs and MeO-BDEs) compounds during sample preparation are typically performed so that different analytical techniques can be used to achieve the needed sensitivities. However, this approach involves multiple injections, ultimately increasing analysis time. In this study, an analytical method was developed for a "one-shot" analysis of 12 PBDEs, 12 OH-BDEs, and 13 MeO-BDEs using gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). This overall method includes simultaneous extraction of all analytes via pressurized liquid extraction followed by lipid removal steps to reduce matrix interferences. The OH-BDEs were derivatized using N-(t-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (TBDMS-MTFA), producing OH-TBDMS derivatives that can be analyzed together with PBDEs and MeO-BDEs by GC-MS/MS in "one shot" within a 25-min run time. The overall recoveries were generally higher than 65%, and the limits of detection ranged from 2 to 14 pg in both breast milk and serum matrices. The applicability of the method was successfully validated on four paired human breast milk and serum samples. The mean concentrations of total PBDEs, OH-BDEs, and MeO-BDEs in breast milk were 59, 2.2, and 0.57 ng g(-1) lipid, respectively. In serum, the mean total concentrations were 79, 38, and 0.96 ng g(-1) lipid, respectively, exhibiting different distribution profiles from the levels detected in breast milk. This "one-shot" GC-MS/MS method will prove useful and cost-effective in large-scale studies needed to further understand the partitioning behavior, and ultimately the adverse health effects, of these important classes of brominated flame retardants in humans.

Butryn DM ，Gross MS ，Chi LH ，Schecter A ，Olson JR ，Aga DS ... -  《-》