TY - JOUR
T1 - Temporal trends in concentrations of brominated flame retardants in UK foodstuffs suggest active impacts of global phase-out of PBDEs and HBCDD
AU - Ma, Yulong
AU - Stubbings, William A
AU - Abdallah, Mohamed Abou-Elwafa
AU - Cline-Cole, Reginald
AU - Harrad, Stuart
PY - 2023/3/10
Y1 - 2023/3/10
N2 - Global restrictions on use of legacy brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) have generated demand for novel BFRs (NBFRs) as substitutes. Our research group has previously reported decreased concentrations of PBDEs and HBCDD and increased concentrations of NBFRs in UK indoor environments, suggesting that restrictions on PBDEs and HBCDD are exerting an impact. In this study, we analysed UK foodstuffs collected in 2020-21 and compared the BFR concentrations found with those found in similar samples collected in 2015 to investigate whether similar trends in BFR concentrations would be observed. Concentrations of PBDEs and HBCDD isomers detected in our samples had declined by 78-92 % and 59-97 % since the 2015 study, respectively. Moreover, concentrations of NBFRs (dominated by 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE or TBE), and bis(2-ethyl hexyl) tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP or TBPH)) in UK foodstuffs increased significantly (28-1400 %) between 2015 and 2020-21. Combined, these findings suggest that restrictions on use of PBDEs and HBCDD have had a discernible impact on concentrations of these legacy BFRs and their NBFR replacements in UK foodstuffs. Interestingly, given recent reports of a significant increase in concentrations of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) in UK house dust between 2014 and 2019, a significant decline (70-84 %) in concentrations of DBDPE was observed in UK foodstuffs.
AB - Global restrictions on use of legacy brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) have generated demand for novel BFRs (NBFRs) as substitutes. Our research group has previously reported decreased concentrations of PBDEs and HBCDD and increased concentrations of NBFRs in UK indoor environments, suggesting that restrictions on PBDEs and HBCDD are exerting an impact. In this study, we analysed UK foodstuffs collected in 2020-21 and compared the BFR concentrations found with those found in similar samples collected in 2015 to investigate whether similar trends in BFR concentrations would be observed. Concentrations of PBDEs and HBCDD isomers detected in our samples had declined by 78-92 % and 59-97 % since the 2015 study, respectively. Moreover, concentrations of NBFRs (dominated by 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE or TBE), and bis(2-ethyl hexyl) tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP or TBPH)) in UK foodstuffs increased significantly (28-1400 %) between 2015 and 2020-21. Combined, these findings suggest that restrictions on use of PBDEs and HBCDD have had a discernible impact on concentrations of these legacy BFRs and their NBFR replacements in UK foodstuffs. Interestingly, given recent reports of a significant increase in concentrations of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) in UK house dust between 2014 and 2019, a significant decline (70-84 %) in concentrations of DBDPE was observed in UK foodstuffs.
KW - Dietary exposure
KW - NBFRs
KW - BTBPE
KW - BEH-TEBP
KW - DBDPE
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160956
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160956
M3 - Article
C2 - 36528953
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 863
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 160956
ER -