| Retrospective Time-Trend Study of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether and Polybrominated and Polychlorinated Biphenyl Levels in Human Serum from the United States Andreas Sjödin, Richard S. Jones, Jean-François Focant, Chester Lapeza, Richard Y. Wang, Ernest E. McGahee III, Yalin Zhang, Wayman E. Turner, Bill Slazyk, Larry L. Needham, and Donald G. Patterson Jr. Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Abstract
Six polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) , one hexabromobiphenyl [polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) ], and one hexachlorobiphenyl [polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) ] were measured in 40 human serum pools collected in the southeastern United States during 1985 through 2002 and in Seattle, Washington, for 1999 through 2002. The concentrations of most of the PBDEs, which are commercially used as flame retardants in common household and commercial applications, had significant positive correlations with time of sample collection, showing that the concentrations of these compounds are increasing in serum collected in the United States. In contrast, PCB and PBB levels were negatively correlated with sample collection year, indicating that the levels of these compounds have been decreasing since their phaseout in the 1970s. Key words: PBB, PBDE, PCB, polybrominated biphenyl, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyl, retrospective time trend, serum. Environ Health Perspect 112:654-658 (2004) . doi:10.1289/ehp.6826 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 14 January 2004]
Address correspondence to A. Sjödin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch, 4770 Buford Hwy., Mail Stop F-17, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717 USA. Telephone: (770) 488-4711. Fax: (770) 488-0142. E-mail: asjodin@cdc.gov We thank K. Foster for the language support she has provided. R.S.J. and J.-F.F. are financially supported by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, a Department of Energy facility managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 29 October 2003 ; accepted 14 January 2004.
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