Hair as a Matrix for Assessing Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE) Exposure in Animals and Humans

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are synthetic chemicals added to various consumer products as flame retardants. They persist in the environment and their potential endocrine disrupting properties are a growing concern. The efficacy of using hair as a matrix for assessing exposure to PBDEs was evaluated in humans and an animal model. Paired human hair and serum samples were obtained (n=50). In parallel, hair, serum, liver and fat were collected from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to increasing doses of the PBDE mixture found in house dust for 70 days via diet. All samples were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for eight common PBDEs: BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183 and 209. Paired human hair and serum samples had five congeners (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100 and 154) with significant individual correlations (0.345 – 0.566). Significant correlations (0.803-0.988) were observed for six congeners in rat hair, serum, liver and fat across doses. Thus, the use of hair as a matrix for assessing PBDE exposure is validated. To determine if hair needs washing prior to analysis for PBDEs, individual hair samples from ten adults were subjected to wash protocols: (i) no wash; (ii) water; (iii) 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS); and (iv) hexane. Hair and wash effluent were analyzed for PBDEs by GC/MS. Washing with water, 10% SDS and hexane decreased hair PBDE levels by 1.9%, 7%, and 11.4%, respectively, compared with unwashed hair (pPh.D