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Urinary tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) as a biomarker of exposure to the flame retardant mixture Firemaster® 550.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hoffman, K; Fang, M; Horman, B; Patisaul, HB; Garantziotis, S; Birnbaum, LS; Stapleton, HM
Published in: Environmental health perspectives
September 2014

Firemaster® 550 (FM550) is commonly added to residential furniture to reduce its flammability. Recent toxicological evidence suggests that FM550 may be endocrine disrupting and obesogenic.Our objectives were to develop methods to assess exposure to FM550 in human populations and to identify potential routes of exposure.Using mass spectrometry methods, we developed a method to measure 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA), a urinary metabolite of the major brominated FM550 component 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB). The method was applied to a cohort of adult volunteers (n = 64). Participants completed questionnaires, provided urine and handwipe samples, and collected dust samples from their homes. We measured TBB and the other major brominated FM550 component, bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), in paired dust and handwipe samples.TBBA was detected in 72.4% of urine samples. Although TBBA is a rapidly formed metabolite, analyses indicated moderate temporal reliability (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.46, 0.66). TBB and TBPH were detected frequently in dust samples [geometric mean (GM) = 315.1 and 364.7 ng/g, respectively] and in handwipes (GM = 31.4 and 23.4 ng, respectively). Levels of TBB and TBPH in dust were positively correlated with levels in handwipes. In addition, levels of TBB in handwipes were positively correlated with urinary TBBA. Results suggest frequent hand washing may reduce the mass of TBB on participants' hands and reduce urinary TBBA levels.Cumulatively, our data indicate that exposures to FM550 are widespread and that the home environment may be an important source of exposure. Urinary TBBA provides a potentially useful biomarker of FM550 exposure for epidemiologic studies.

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Published In

Environmental health perspectives

DOI

EISSN

1552-9924

ISSN

0091-6765

Publication Date

September 2014

Volume

122

Issue

9

Start / End Page

963 / 969

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Rats
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls
  • Phthalic Acids
  • Organophosphates
  • Middle Aged
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Hand
 

Citation

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Hoffman, K., Fang, M., Horman, B., Patisaul, H. B., Garantziotis, S., Birnbaum, L. S., & Stapleton, H. M. (2014). Urinary tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) as a biomarker of exposure to the flame retardant mixture Firemaster® 550. Environmental Health Perspectives, 122(9), 963–969. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1308028
Hoffman, Kate, Mingliang Fang, Brian Horman, Heather B. Patisaul, Stavros Garantziotis, Linda S. Birnbaum, and Heather M. Stapleton. “Urinary tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) as a biomarker of exposure to the flame retardant mixture Firemaster® 550.Environmental Health Perspectives 122, no. 9 (September 2014): 963–69. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1308028.
Hoffman K, Fang M, Horman B, Patisaul HB, Garantziotis S, Birnbaum LS, et al. Urinary tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) as a biomarker of exposure to the flame retardant mixture Firemaster® 550. Environmental health perspectives. 2014 Sep;122(9):963–9.
Hoffman, Kate, et al. “Urinary tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) as a biomarker of exposure to the flame retardant mixture Firemaster® 550.Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 122, no. 9, Sept. 2014, pp. 963–69. Epmc, doi:10.1289/ehp.1308028.
Hoffman K, Fang M, Horman B, Patisaul HB, Garantziotis S, Birnbaum LS, Stapleton HM. Urinary tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) as a biomarker of exposure to the flame retardant mixture Firemaster® 550. Environmental health perspectives. 2014 Sep;122(9):963–969.

Published In

Environmental health perspectives

DOI

EISSN

1552-9924

ISSN

0091-6765

Publication Date

September 2014

Volume

122

Issue

9

Start / End Page

963 / 969

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Rats
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls
  • Phthalic Acids
  • Organophosphates
  • Middle Aged
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Hand