Pollution Status and Human Exposure of Decabromodiphenyl Ether (BDE-209) in China

Abstract

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209/decaBDE) is a high-production-volume brominated flame retardant in China, where the decaBDE commercial mixture is manufactured in Laizhou Bay, Shandong Province, even after the prohibition of penta- and octaBDE mixtures. The demand for flame retardants produced in China has been increasing in recent years as China not only produces electronic devices but also has numerous electronic waste (e-waste) recycling regions, which receive e-wastes from both domestic and foreign sources. High concentrations of BDE-209 have been observed in biotic and abiotic media in each of the different areas, especially within the decaBDE manufacturers and e-waste recycling areas. BDE-209 has been viewed as toxic and bioaccumulative because it might debrominate to less brominated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (lower molecular weight and hydrophobicity), which are more readily absorbed by organisms. The highest concentration of PBDEs in dust within urban areas reached 40 236 ng g ^–1 in the Pearl River Delta, and BDE-209 contributed the greatest proportion to the total PBDEs (95.1%). Moreover, the maximum hazard quotient was found for toddlers (0.703) for BDE-209, which was close to 1. This suggests that exposure to BDE-209 might lead to increased potential for adverse effects and organ harm (e.g., the lungs) through inhalation, dust ingestion, and dermal absorption, especially for the group of toddlers compared to others. In daily food and human tissues, the amount of BDE-209 was also extensively detected. However, the toxicity and adverse effect of BDE-209 to humans are still not clear; thus, further studies are required to better assess the toxicological effects and exposure scenarios, a more enhanced environmental policy for ecological risks regarding BDE-209 and its debrominated byproducts in China.