An Asian quandary: where have all of the PBDEs gone?

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used fire retardant compounds which, like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have become ubiquitous in environmental media. Time trend analyses of PBDE levels in sediments and biota generally show an increasing trend. The lower (tetra- and penta-) PBDEs accumulate and predominate in biota, whilst the higher congeners (deca-) are prevalent in aquatic environments and sediments. PBDEs also biomagnify, with highest concentrations of the lower brominated congeners being seen in top predators including birds, marine mammals and humans. Toxicological studies of PBDEs have been limited, although effects mediated via the thyroid gland may be extremely important. Disturbingly, PBDEs may be sequestering in certain Asian environments to a higher degree than in other parts of the world, due to the unregulated disposal of computers and electronic equipment. However, this potential problem remains poorly investigated, to date.