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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Food Animal Metabolism Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419459

Research Project: Detection and Fate of Environmental Chemical and Biological Residues and their Impact on the Food Supply

Location: Food Animal Metabolism Research

Title: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in US meat, poultry, and siluriformes: 2018 – 19 levels, trends, and estimated consumer exposures

Author
item Lupton, Sara

Submitted to: Food Additives & Contaminants. Part A: Chemistry, Analysis, Control, Exposure & Risk Assessment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/20/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A class of brominated flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are classified as environmental contaminants and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by the Stockholm Convention. Various industrial and consumer products contained these man-made compounds. PBDEs can accumulate in the fat of food animals. Consequently, consumers can be exposed to these compounds through different meat products. USDA scientists in Fargo, ND have regularly measured the levels of PBDEs in fat samples from beef, pork, chicken, and turkey which come directly from animal processing facilities for the last decade. Additionally dairy cow and catfish were also included in the current study. Overall, contaminant levels in US beef, pork, chicken, and turkey have been steadily declining. Consumer PBDE dietary intake estimates were calculated based on consumption of US meat and poultry and found to be within or lower than values reported in other nations. These data provide encouraging information to US producers that meat and poultry exports are reasonably safe from PBDEs.

Technical Abstract: Human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of brominated flame retardants, can occur through consumption of contaminated foods. Since 2007, U.S. meat and poultry samples (beef, pork, chicken, turkey) have been collected every 5 years to assess PBDE levels and consumer exposure to seven PBDEs. Mean 'PBDE concentrations from beef, pork, chicken, turkey, dairy cow, and siluriformes were 0.19, 0.48, 0.11, 0.60, 0.28 ng/g lipid weight (lw), and 2.52 ng/g wet weight (ww). The SPBDEs for all meat classes ranged from 0.005 to 17.72 ng/g lw. Comparison of the 2018-19 survey to the 2007-08 and 2012-13 surveys revealed an overall decrease in the median SPBDE residue for all four meat classes with significant reductions in the medians at 40 - 45% for pork, chicken, and turkey. As in the previous surveys, BDEs 47 and 99 had higher percentage contributions to the SPBDE concentrations than other PBDE congeners, which indicated the penta-BDE formulation was a likely exposure source for animals. An estimated of U.S. consumer daily intake of PBDEs from meat and poultry was 4.98 ng/day which is a decrease from the 2012-13 survey of 6.42 ng/day.