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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in aborted human fetuses and placental transfer during the first trimester of

Yaxian Zhao1, Xianli Ruan, Yuanyuan Li

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.

Environmental Science & Technology
|April 30, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Early pregnancy exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) is confirmed, with lower-brominated compounds crossing the placenta more readily than higher-brominated ones. This indicates PBDEs can transfer to the fetus during the first trimester.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Toxicology
  • Reproductive Biology

Background:

  • Limited data exists on early human fetal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
  • The first trimester is a critical period for fetal development, making early exposure a significant concern.
  • Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sites are potential sources of PBDE contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate PBDE exposure and placental transfer during early human pregnancy (10-13 weeks gestation).
  • To analyze PBDE concentrations in paired fetal, placental, and maternal blood samples.
  • To understand the differential transfer of various PBDE congeners across the placenta.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of PBDEs in paired aborted fetuses (n=65), placentas (n=65), and maternal blood (n=31) collected near e-waste sites in Taizhou, China.
  • Quantification of PBDE congener profiles and total PBDE (∑PBDE) concentrations in lipid weight (lw).
  • Statistical analysis of correlations and concentration ratios between paired matrices.

Main Results:

  • Mean ∑PBDE concentrations were 4.46 ng/g lw in fetuses, 7.90 ng/g lw in placentas, and 15.7 ng/g lw in maternal blood.
  • PBDE congener profiles were similar across matrices, dominated by BDE-209, BDE-197, BDE-153, BDE-47, and BDE-28.
  • Lower-brominated congeners (BDE-28, BDE-47) showed higher fetus/blood and fetus/placenta ratios, while higher-brominated congeners (BDE-197, BDE-209) had higher placenta/blood ratios.

Conclusions:

  • PBDEs can transfer to the human fetus during the first trimester.
  • Lower-brominated PBDE congeners cross the placenta more easily than higher-brominated ones.
  • Higher-brominated congeners tend to accumulate in the placenta, a pattern consistent with late-pregnancy findings.

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