Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in human milk: A biomonitoring study in rural areas of Flanders (Belgium)

To collect information on the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the rural areas in Flanders (Belgium), 84 breastfeeding mothers were recruited in rural communities in East and West Flanders and Flemish Brabant in 2009-2010. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, organochlorine pesticides, brominated flame retardants, perfluorinated compounds, polychlorinated dibenzodioxines and dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like PCBs were measured in individual milk samples and in a pooled milk sample, while some additional pollutants were only measured in the pooled sample. For most pollutants, the concentrations in this study were lower or comparable to the concentrations measured in the pooled Belgian sample of the WHO human milk study of 2006, except for the pesticides dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane DDT (+25% for ΣDDT and metabolites) and trans-nonachlor (+94%), and for the brominated flame retardant hexachlorocyclododecane HBCD (+153%). Perfluorinated compounds were for the first time determined in human milk samples from Belgium and the concentrations were comparable to those from other European countries. Also, interesting associations were found between the concentrations of POPs measured in human milk and personal characteristics as well as dietary habits of the study population. PFOS en PFOA concentrations were significantly higher in milk of primiparous participants compared to mothers who gave birth to their second child. Lower brominated PBDE congeners increased with increasing BMI of the mothers (p = 0.01 for BDE 47, p = 0.02 for BDE 99 and p = 0.02 for BDE 100). Participants consuming milk or dairy products daily had significant higher concentrations of ΣDDTs (p = 0.03) and oxychlordane (p = 0.047) in their human milk samples.     

Accumulation and phytotoxicity of technical hexabromocyclododecane in maize

To investigate the accumulation and phytotoxicity of technical hexabromocyclododecane(HBCD)in maize,young seedlings were exposed to solutions of technical HBCD at different concentrations.The uptake kinetics showed that the HBCD concentration reached an apparent equilibrium within 96 hr,and the accumulation was much higher in roots than in shoots.HBCD accumulation in maize had a positive linear correlation with the exposure concentration.The accumulation of different diastereoisomers followed the orderγ-HBCDβ-HBCDα-HBCD.Compared with their proportions in the technical HBCD exposure solution,the diastereoisomer contribution increased forβ-HBCD and decreased forγ-HBCD in both maize roots and shoots with exposure time,whereas the contribution ofα-HBCD increased in roots and decreased in shoots throughout the experimental period.These results suggest the diastereomer-specific accumulation and translocation of HBCD in maize.Inhibitory effects of HBCD on the early development of maize followed the order of germination rateroot biomass≥root elongationshoot biomass≥shoot elongation.Hydroxyl radical(OH)and histone H2AX phosphorylation(γ-H2AX)were induced in maize by HBCD exposure,indicative of the generation of oxidative stress and DNA double-strand breaks in maize.An OH scavenger inhibited the expression ofγ-H2AX foci in both maize roots and shoots,which suggests the involvement of OH generation in the HBCD-induced DNA damage.The results of this study will offer useful information for a more comprehensive assessment of the environmental behavior and toxicity of technical HBCD.     

超声波提取-气相色谱氢火焰测定土壤中六溴环十二烷

HBCD（六溴环十二烷,hexabromocyclododecane）是一种常用的溴代阻燃剂,其对环境和生物体造成的影响已被定性为持久性有机污染物.为了建立超声波提取、气相色谱检测土壤中w（HBCD）的方法,分别对超声波提取HBCD条件及气相色谱检测HBCD参数进行优化,并对超声波提取法与索氏提取法进行了比较.结果表明:①最佳超声波提取土壤中HBCD条件为以体积比为1:1的正己烷:丙酮溶液为提取溶剂,60℃水浴振荡,超声波提取50 min.②气相色谱优化后提取HBCD的最佳分离条件为进样口温度240℃;初始温度90℃,保留1 min;升温程序为90℃时以15℃/min升温至160℃,保留2 min,再以10℃/min升至220℃,保留2 min,最后以5℃/min升至280℃,保留3 min;分流模式为不分流;以氮气为载气;进样量为1 μL;FID检测器温度为300℃.③HBCD在土壤中的平均回收率可达97.1%,相对标准偏差为3.5%,方法精密度高.④与索氏提取方法相比,超声波提取法提取时间短、样品用量少、灵敏度高,并且方法重现性和精密度较好,能更有效地分析土壤中w（HBCD）.研究显示,场地土壤中w（HBCD）平均值为0.757 mg/kg,相对标准偏差为4.22%（小于5%）,超声波提取及气相色谱检测土壤中HBCD的方法准确度高、重现性好,对分析土壤中HBCD更加简便快捷.      

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时检测溴代阻燃剂

采用Acquity BEH C18色谱柱,以甲醇-乙腈混合液和水为流动相,辅以电喷雾正离子模式多反应监测(MRM)进行定性定量分析,建立了一种同位素稀释超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)同时检测四溴双酚A(TBBPA)、三-(2,3-二溴丙基)异氰脲酸酯(TBC)和3种六溴环十二烷(HBCD)异构体的方法。水样通过固相萃取进行净化,回收率达到85.3%~96.1%。土壤和底泥样品经加速溶剂萃取后,采用酸性硅胶和中性硅胶柱进行净化,回收率达到81.5%~102.7%。该方法对TBBPA、TBC、α-HBCD、β-HBCD、γ-HBCD在水和土壤中的检测限分别为1.0、1.2、2.0、0.8、1.2 ng/L和0.10、0.12、0.20、0.08、0.12 ng/g。     

Analysis of brominated flame retardants in house dust

The main objective of this study was to create a robust analytical method to analyse the flame retardants decabromodiphenylether (BDE-209), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) in house dust in order to estimate the degree of contamination of indoor environment. A liquid chromatography method equipped with a UV-detector and electro spray-tandem mass spectrometry was used to achieve this result. Applying an external calibration for BDE-209, an internal calibration for TBBPA, and a standard addition method for HBCD low limits of quantification were obtained. The analytical procedure was carried out under exclusion of UV-light as the target compounds potentially degrade when being exposed to UV-light. Empirical data were obtained in addition to the dust samples to estimate potential influences of apartment characteristics. A weak correlation between the number of electric devices and TBBPA was found.     

六溴环十二烷(hexabromocyclododecane,HBCD)暴露对生长阶段文昌鱼的毒性及其几种重要酶活性的影响

以文昌鱼为研究对象,研究了在六溴环十二烷暴露下对文昌鱼造成的机体氧化损伤.通过检测相关酶活变化情况,如酸性磷酸酶(ACP)、碱性磷酸酶(AKP)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD),从而确定低剂量长期暴露HBCD对文昌鱼鱼体产生氧化损伤效应的机制.急性毒性实验结果表明,文昌鱼暴露于六溴环十二烷饱和溶液(8....     

Dietary exposure to technical hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) alters courtship, incubation and parental behaviors in American kestrels (Falco sparverius)

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a high production volume brominated flame retardant that has been detected in the environment and wildlife at increasing concentrations. This study was designed to determine potential effects of dietary exposure to environmentally relevant levels of HBCD on behavior during reproduction in captive American kestrels. Twenty kestrel pairs were exposed to 0.51 μg technical HBCD g⁻¹ kestrel d⁻¹ from 4 weeks prior to pairing until chicks hatched (∼75 d). Ten pairs of controls received the safflower oil vehicle only and were used for comparison. During the courtship period the chitter-calls were reduced in both sexes (p = 0.038) and females performed fewer bonding displays (p = 0.053). Both sexes showed a propensity to be less active than controls during courtship. The reduction in male courtship behavior was correlated with reduced courtship behaviors of females (p ? 0.008) as well as reduced egg mass (p = 0.019). During incubation, nest temperatures of treatment pairs were lower at mid-incubation (p = 0.038). HBCD-exposed males performed fewer key parental behaviors when rearing nestlings, including entering the nest-box, pair-bonding displays and food-retrievals. HBCD-exposed females appeared to compensate for the reduced parental behavior of their mates by performing these same behaviors more frequently than controls (p = 0.004, p = 0.027, p = 0.025, respectively). This study demonstrates that HBCD affects breeding behavior in American kestrels throughout the reproductive season and behavioral alterations were linked to reproductive changes (egg size). This is the first study to report HBCD effects on reproductive behavior in any animal model.     

六溴环十二烷及其复合污染脑发育期暴露对大鼠甲状腺激素代谢过程的影响

研究六溴环十二烷（HBCD）及其复合污染对发育期幼鼠甲状腺激素代谢过程的影响。设计HBCD单一暴露剂量（10、50、100、300ttg·kg-1）,及HBCD与等浓度商用多溴联苯醚DE-71按2：1复合暴露剂量（10、50、100、300gg·kg-1）,对新生3d的SD大鼠进行为期42d的暴露,放射免疫法测定血清中甲状腺激素（TT3,TT4,FT3,FT4,TSH）水平,并分别测定肝脏和脑组织中甲状腺激素脱碘酶（D1,D2）活性及其对应基因的相对表达水平。与对照组相比较,经HBCD暴露后,大鼠血清中TT4、TT3、FT4、FT3浓度随着暴露剂量增大呈现先升高后下降的趋势,其中10μg·kg-1剂量组的FT3质量分数显著升高（P〈0．05）,300μg·kg-1剂量组的FT4质量分数显著下降（P〈0．05）;TSH则呈现下降趋势。lO、50及300μg·kg-1剂量组的TSH质量分数均显著下降（P〈0．05）。HBCD／DE-7l复合暴露后,大鼠血清中TT4、TT3、FT4、FT3浓度随着暴露剂量的增大呈升高趋势,其中50μg·kg-1剂量组TT4质量分数显著升高（P〈0．05）,50μg·kg-1及300μg·kg-1剂量组FT4质量分数显著升高（P〈0．05）,300μg·kg-1剂量组FT3质量分数显著升高（P〈0．05）。单一暴露后,D1活性及基因表达水平均呈下降趋势,300gμg·kg-1剂量组基因表达水平下降显著（P〈0．05）;D2活性及基因表达水平则均呈现下降趋势,50μg·kg-1剂量组均显著下降（P〈0．05）;HBCD／DE-71复合暴露后,D1、D2活性及其基因表达水平则均呈升高趋势,其中100μg·kg-1剂量组D1活性及基因表达水平均显著性升高（P〈0．05）,300μg·kg-1剂量组D2活性显著性升高（P〈0．05）。HBCD及HBCD／DE-71复合污染物均能通过改变甲状腺激素代谢酶的活性及mRNA表达水平进一步影响机体甲状腺激素的内稳态平衡,且HBCD单一暴露与HBCD／DE-71复合暴露对机体毒性作用途径及所产生的毒性效果存在着很大的差异。     

溴阻燃剂对肝细胞的毒性

为评价四溴联苯醚(2,2,4,4-tetrabromodipheny lether,PBDE-47)、五溴联苯醚(2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenylether,PBDE-99)、九溴联苯醚(polybrominated dipheny lethers206,PBDE-206)、六溴环十二烷(hexabromocyclododecane,HBCD)、四溴双酚A(tetrabromobisphenol A,TBBPA)对人肝细胞(LO2)的体外细胞毒性。将5种溴阻燃剂与人肝细胞LO2共同培养,采用四甲基偶氮噻唑蓝比色法(MTT法)检测5种溴阻燃剂对LO2细胞的相对增殖率,并按照GB/T16886.5-2003/ISO10993-5:1999标准评价5种溴阻燃剂对LO2的细胞毒性。体外实验表明,5种溴阻燃剂对LO2细胞均具有抑制作用,其中PBDE-47、PBDE-99和HBCD呈现剂量依赖关系。     

生产源区人血清中六溴环十二烷水平与甲状腺激素相关性研究

采用超高效液相色谱-电喷雾离子源-串联三重四极质谱(UPLC-ESI-MS/MS)检测了六溴环十二烷(HBCD)在生产源区人血清中的浓度.80个人血清样品中ΣHBCD含量(以脂重计,下同)为nd~2702.5 ng·g-1,均值和中值分别为104.9ng·g-1和5.9 ng·g-1,其中42个样品中γ-HBCD丰度最高,26个样品中α-HBCD丰度最高.ΣHBCD浓度与年龄、性别无显著性相关.本研究中,生产源区人群血清甲状腺5项指标异常率高达33%.且检出HBCD异构体的人血清样本中TSH、T3、FT3、T4及FT4这5项指标出现异常的概率显著高于未检出HBCD的血清样本.本研究认为生产源区居民属于HBCD高暴露人群,人群暴露HBCD可能会显著增加甲状腺五项指标异常的发生率.