Polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) exposure in French offices
Abstract
Polybromodiphenyl ethers are a family of 209 congeners widely used as brominated flame retardants in consumer products (computers, polyurethane foams, carpet...). They have the potential to be released from the product into the environment and are suspected to be associated with endocrine disruption. PBDE are ubiquitous and persistent in environment, but the repartition in environmental media and the population exposure are not well known. The aims of this project, supported by ANSES and the French Ministry of Environment, was to compare measurements of PBDEs in dust and air from offices and in the blood of their occupants and to explain PBDE levels with declared exposures. The protocol was accepted by different ethic comities. The first step was to develop and optimize some sampling and analysis methods for blood, air and dust. Eleven congeners were studied. Methods qualified for this study are discussed in other papers. In the second step, about thirty volunteers and their own office were included in the study. They answered questionnaires, had air and dust sampling in their office and blood sampling. PBDEs concentrations in blood ranged from 0,2-12,5 ng/g serum (mean is 2 ng/g serum), the major congener is BDE209. For most congeners, values are in the range of those found in European studies. The project does not reveal any significant relationship between concentrations in the air and the dust deposited in the investigated offices and blood levels of the occupants. For this group of people, the organization of the offices (number of computers, windows opening, stage, etc.) doesn't significantly impact the blood concentrations. These results cannot be applied to other populations. Transports and fish consumption could have an impact on the concentrations. Those relationships could be further investigated in a larger group using most specific tools.