Dietary exposure of the Hong Kong adult population to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): results of the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study

Abstract

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of industrial chemicals that are persistent and can bioaccumulate. In the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study, the dietary exposure of Hong Kong adults to PBDEs was estimated to assess the associated health risks. Food samples, which represented the Hong Kong people’s diet, were collected and prepared in table-ready form for analysis. Concentrations of PBDEs were determined in 142 composite samples. The dietary exposures were estimated by combining the analytical results with the local food consumption data of the adults. The mean and 95th percentile of dietary PBDEs exposures of the Hong Kong people were 1.34 and 2.90 ng kg⁻¹ body weight day⁻¹, respectively. The main dietary source of PBDEs was “fish and seafood and their products”, which contributed 27.3% of the total exposure, followed by “meat, poultry and game and their products” (20.7%), “cereals and their products” (15.9%), and “fats and oils” (15.9%). The large margins of exposure (MOE) (>2.5) calculated following the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approach for four important congeners, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-153 and BDE-209, indicate that the estimated dietary exposures are unlikely to be a significant health concern.

Keywords:

• dietary exposure
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
• total diet study