In vitro assessment of the bioaccessibility of brominated flame retardants in indoor dust using a colon extended model of the human gastrointestinal tract

M. Abou-Elwafa Abdallah, E. Tilston, S. Harrad, C. Collins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An in vitro colon extended physiologically based extraction test (CEPBET) which incorporates human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) parameters (including pH and chemistry, solid-to-fluid ratio, mixing and emptying rates) was applied for the first time to study the bioaccessibility of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from the 3 main GIT compartments (stomach, small intestine and colon) following ingestion of indoor dust. Results revealed the bioaccessibility of γ-HBCD (72%) was less than that for α- and β-isomers (92% and 80% respectively) which may be attributed to the lower aqueous solubility of the γ-isomer (2 μg L) compared to the α- and β-isomers (45 and 15 μg L respectively). No significant change in the enantiomeric fractions of HBCDs was observed in any of the studied samples. However, this does not completely exclude the possibility of in vivo enantioselective absorption of HBCDs, as the GIT cell lining and bacterial flora - which may act enantioselectively - are not included in the current CE-PBET model. While TBBP-A was almost completely (94%) bioaccessible, BDE-209 was the least (14%) bioaccessible of the studied BFRs. Bioaccessibility of tri-hepta BDEs ranged from 32-58%. No decrease in the bioaccessibility with increasing level of bromination was observed in the studied PBDEs.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3276-3283
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Environmental Monitoring
Volume14
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2012

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'In vitro assessment of the bioaccessibility of brominated flame retardants in indoor dust using a colon extended model of the human gastrointestinal tract'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this