Novel Insights into the Dermal Bioaccessibility and Human Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardant Additives in Microplastics

Overview

Journal Environ Sci Technol

Publisher American Chemical Society

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2023 Jul 14

PMID 37450894

Authors

Ovokeroye A Abafe

Stuart Harrad

Mohamed Abou-Elwafa Abdallah

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In this study, we optimized and applied an physiologically based extraction test to investigate the dermal bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), incorporated as additives in different types of microplastics (MPs), and assess human dermal exposure to these chemicals. The dermal bioaccessibility of PBDEs in polyethylene (PE) MPs was significantly higher ( < 0.05) than in polypropylene (PP) MPs. Both log and water solubility influenced the dermal bioaccessibility of PBDEs. For HBCDDs in polystyrene MPs, the dermally bioaccessible fractions were 1.8, 2.0, and 1.6% of the applied dose for α-, β-, and γ-HBCDDs, respectively. MP particle size and the presence of cosmetic formulations (antiperspirant, foundation, moisturizer and sunscreen) influenced the bioaccessibility of PBDEs and HBCDDs in MP matrices at varying degrees of significance. Human exposure to ∑PBDEs and ∑HBCDDs via dermal contact with MPs ranged from 0.02 to 22.2 and 0.01 to 231 ng (kg bw) d and from 0.02 to 6.27 and 0.2 to 65 ng (kg bw) d for adults and toddlers, respectively. Dermal exposure to PBDEs and HBCDDs in MPs is substantial, highlighting for the first time the significance of the dermal pathway as a major route of human exposure to additive chemicals in microplastics.

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