Feasibility Study of Feces for Noninvasive Biomonitoring of Brominated Flame Retardants in Toddlers

Sahlström, Leena M. O.; Sellström, Ulla; de Wit, Cynthia A.; Lignell, Sanna; Darnerud, Per Ola

Feasibility Study of Feces for Noninvasive Biomonitoring of Brominated Flame Retardants in Toddlers

2015

Sahlström, Leena M. O. | Sellström, Ulla | de Wit, Cynthia A. | Lignell, Sanna | Darnerud, Per Ola

This study investigated the feasibility of using feces as a noninvasive matrix to estimate serum concentrations of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in toddlers for biomonitoring purposes. Tri- to decabrominated diphenyl ethers (tri-decaBDEs), isomer-specific hexabromocyclododecanes, and 16 emerging BFRs were determined in feces from 22 toddlers (11–15 months of age), and results were compared to previously analyzed matched serum samples. BDE-47, -153, -196, -197, -203, -206, -207, -208, and -209 were detected in the feces creating a matched data set (feces–serum, n = 21). Tetra-octaBDE concentrations were significantly higher (Student’s paired comparisons t test, α = 0.05) in serum versus feces with BDE-153 having the highest mean difference between the sample matrices. BDE-209 was found in significantly higher concentrations in feces compared to serum. Significant correlations (Pearson’s, α = 0.05) between congener-specific concentrations in feces and serum were found for all BDEs except BDE-197 and -203. The feces–serum associations found can be used to estimate serum concentrations of tetra-decaBDEs from feces concentrations and enable a noninvasive sampling method for biomonitoring BDEs in toddlers.

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