• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.385-391
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• 2018

Toxic assessment of PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-209) has carried out using the rates of population growth in marine phytoplankton, Skeletonema costatum. The population growth rate (r) in S. costatum was determined after 96 hours of exposure to BDE-47 (2,2'4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether) and BDE-209 (2,2', 4,4'-Decabromodiphenyl ether). It was observed that r-value in the controls (absence PBDEs) was greater than 0.04 and further a decrease was observed in a dose-dependent manner. BDE-47 reduced population growth rate in a dose-dependent manner and a significant reduction occurred at a concentration greater than $0.31mgL^{-1}$, but BDE-209 had no effect on population growth rate even at concentrations greater than $125mgL^{-1}$. The population growth rate in the presence of BDE-47 and BDE-209, $EC_{50}$ values were $0.55mgL^{-1}$ and >$125mgL^{-1}$, and NOEC values were $0.16mgL^{-1}$ and >$125mgL^{-1}$, respectively. Therefore, BDE-47 is considered to be about over 80 times more harmful than BDE-209. In this study, the ecotoxic assessment based on population growth rate in S. costatum can be used as a baseline data for establishment of environment standard quality of BDE-47 and BDE-209 in the marine environment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2018

The toxic assessment of the PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-209) has been comprehensively investigated by using the rates of survival and population growth in the marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis. Chiefly, the survival rate was determined after a measurement of 24 hours of exposure to the BDE-47 (2,2'4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether) and the BDE-209 (2,2',4,4'-Decabromodiphenyl ether) was performed. The BDE-47 reduced survival rate in dose-dependent manner and a significant reduction were noted to have occurred at a concentration of greater than $3.9mg\;L^{-1}$, but the BDE-209 had no effect which was subsequently observed in this study. The population growth rate (r) was determined after 72 hours of exposure to toxicants in the study. It was observed that the r value in the controls (absence PBDEs) was greater than 0.5, and that it decreased as the dose-dependent manner as recorded. The survival rate when exposed to BDE-47 and BDE-209, $EC_{50}$ value was $13mg\;L^{-1}$ and $>1,000mg\;L^{-1}$, and population growth rate was $3.67mg\;L^{-1}$ and $862.75mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Therefore, the BDE-47 is considered to be 76-235 times more harmful than the BDE-209 as noted. In this study, the ecotoxicological bioassay using a noted survival rate and population growth rate of B. plicatilis can be used as a baseline data for the continued establishment of the environmental quality standard of the incidences of the BDE-47 and BDE-209 in a marine environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.829-835
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• 2006

The composition, source, and regional concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs) were measured in pine needles with several sites in Korea. Homologs specific analysis confirmed that hepta-BDE(bromodiphenyl ethers) through deca-BDE were predictive indicator for total PBDEs concentration(Pearson's correlation coefficient r>0.96, p<0.001). Deca-BDE were detected in relatively very high concentration compared to other PBDE congeners in all samples. The similarity of between congeners profile to those of Bromkal 70-5DE and DE-71, the commercial mixture of PBDEs, indicates these mixtures are source of PBDEs observed in these sites. Also, BDE-47, -99, -100, -206, -207, and -209 were the dominant congeners in all samples, suggesting that the widely used commercial penta- and deca-BDE technical mixture were the original sources. However, Pearson's correlation coefficients of between BDE-209 and BDE-47, -99, -100 were insignificant, which implied that tetra-BDE and penta-BDE may originate from secondary sources such as air-plant partition in manner similar to that of the PCBs, while deca-BDE formulation still has primary sources.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.64-74
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• 2010

Background: The present study was undertaken to examine the immunological effects of pentabrominated diphenyl ether (penta-BDE) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (deca-BDE) on the immune system of the dams and the developmental immune system of the offsprings. Methods: In this study, mated female C57BL/6J mice were orally administered penta-BDE, deca-BDE or corn oil for 5 weeks, from gestational day 6 to lactational day 21. Results: The body weight of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was significantly decreased relative to control mice, but that of post-natal day 63 (PND63) were recovered. Orally dosed dams with penta-BDE had significantly smaller absolute and relative spleen masses than control mice. Absolute and relative spleen and thymus masses of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE were significantly decreased over control. The exposure of dams and PND21 with penta-BDE reduced the number of splenocytes and thymocytes. As results of hematologic analysis, percentage WBC and percentage neutrophils increased in dams with deca-BDE. Splenic T cell proliferation in dams and PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was increased, and there were no significant difference in splenic B cell proliferation in all treatment groups. As results of flow cytometric analysis of splenocyte, percentage total T cell, Th cell and Tc cell in PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was slightly increased, and percentage macrophage in dams and PND21 exposed to deca-BDE was decreased. The ELISA results of antibody production show no significant difference in all treatment groups relative to controls. Conclusion: These results imply that PBDEs given to the dam were transferred to the offspring during gestation and lactation, and PBDEs transferred from the dam affect immune system of offspring.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 2011

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of "brominated" (bromine containing) man-made chemicals used as flame retardant additives in plastics, foams, and textiles. PBDEs are found in various environmental contaminants in air, soil, sediment, and water, and 209 individual forms (congeners) of PBDE exist. Among these, 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is the dominant congener found in the environment. Exposure to BDE-47 is now worldwide, and levels of BDE-47 have been detected in the blood of animals, including humans. BDE-47 can adversely affect the developmental system in both humans and animals. BDEs have structural similarities to polychlorinated biphenyls and thyroid hormones. However, recent studies have shown that BDEs may act as hormonal disrupting chemicals with detrimental effects. Therefore, a reliable assessment of BDE-47 toxicological action is required to understand the detrimental impacts of BDE-47 on human health. In this review, we overview recent studies on the distribution and potential toxicological effects of BDE-47 in humans and animals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.2 s.89
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• pp.111-117
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• 2006

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in pine needles and soil samples from rural area were analyzed in this study. Concentrations of PBDE congeners were ranged between 0.2 and 3104 pg/g DW(dry weight) in pine needles and between 2.4 and 1997 pg/g DW in soil samples. The most abundant congener both in pine needles and soil samples was BDE-209, which was related to importation and production of deca-BDE technical mixtures in Korean industry. And BDE-99, BDE-47, BDE-100 deposited in pine needles and soil samples were closely matched with the major constituents of the penta-BDE technical mixture. Those can be interpreted as an evidence that transfer of the congeners in deca-BDE and penta-BDE technical mixtures from source to pine needle and soil occurs with broadly similar efficiency. Correlation coefficient(r) of PBDE congeners deposited in pine needles and soil samples is very significant because it implies th at there has been little weathering/degradation/alteration of the congeners generated from sources during atmospheric transport or within pine needles and soil themselves.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2012

This study achieves results from 22 maternity breast milk samples in total to demonstrate exposure level and risk assessment of PBDEs in Seoul area. PBDEs were detected in all the breast milk samples of the present study, indicating that general population in these Seoul area are widely exposed to these chemicals. Residue levels of total PBDEs (sum PBDEs from tri- to hepta-BDE) ranged of 0.84~13.1 ng/g lipid with an arithmetic mean and median of 3.56 ng/g lipid and 2.6 ng/g lipid, respectively. Global comparison shows that the levels of total PBDEs were relatively similar to those of China, Taiwan and European country (Sweden), and somewhat higher than those in some Asian (Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia). In the present study, however, the levels of total PBDEs in human milk are still one to two orders of magnitude lower than those in North America. Contribution rate of each congener appeared to be predominant with BDE-47, followed by BDE-153, BDE-100, BDE-99, BDE-154 and BDE-183. The sum of BDE-47 and BDE-153 accounted for more than 65% of total PBDEs in most samples. From the result of the human risk assessment of infants for total PBDEs and BDE-47 by breast milk feeding, we could find out that the average daily doses and hazard index (95th percentile) were 16.5 ng/kg bw/day and $1.2{\times}10^{-1}$ each other when nursing for 6 months after infants born. However, it was concluded that the infant health hardly had adverse seriously effects under this research condition.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.427-436
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• 2010

A total of 18 surface sediments within the special conservation zone in the Masan Bay were analyzed to investigate the spatial distribution and polluted pathway of polybrominated diphenyl ehters(PBDEs). Twenty-two PBDE congeners were detected and brominated diphenyl ether-209 (BDE-209) among them was predominant. The concentrations of BDE-209 and ${\Sigma}_{21}$PBDEs (sum of 21 PBDE congeners without BDE-209) ranged from 2.32 to 64.2 ng/g and from 0.72 to 8.24 ng/g, respectively. The spatial distribution of both BDE-209 and ${\Sigma}_{21}$PBDEs showed a negative gradient from the inner to the outer Bay, indicating that the source of PBDEs might be mainly located inside the Bay such as streams and an effluent of wastewater treatment plants. It was seemed likely that the major parameters determining levels of PBDEs in the Masan Bay were the distance discharging from their sources as well as the characteristics and movement of sediments due to the flow of sea water.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 2010

Octopus(Octopus minor), benthic cephalopod, were collected from intertidal zone in Seosan, Choongnam and analyzed for polybrominted diphenyl ethers(PBDEs). PBDEs concentrations ranged from 29 to 109 ng/g lipid wt(mean; 54 ng/g) in mantle and from 12 to 89 ng/g lipid wt(mean; 48 ng/g) in internal organ. PBDEs concentrations in octopus internal organ were lower about two times than that in common squid collected in Yellow Sea, indicating Seosan is relatively less contaminated with PBDEs. Major congener was BDE 206, occupying 72% and 49% of total PBDE concentration in mantle and in internal organ, respectively, which is very different from PBDE composition in common squid with major congeners of BDE 47 and 99. From PBDE composition, octopus seemed to concentrate higher brominated BDE rather than lower brominated BDE. This PBDE composition in octopus may be affected by sediment with extremely high contribution of deca-BDE to total PBDE concentration.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.510-516
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• 2009

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in soil samples of Ansung in Kyonggi-province to investigate concentration distribution of PBDEs and PCBs. The 10 soil samples were collected using a stainless steel hand-held corer that was cleaned before and after each sample using hexane. Total concentration of PBDE and PCBs were 2,205.3 and 348.1 pg/g dry weight (DW) in soil sample, respectively. BDE-209 showed as the most abundant congener in soil samples which was related to imported amount and usage amount of deca-BDE technical mixture in Korea. Also, BDE-99, BDE-47, BDE-100 deposition in soil sample was higher than other congeners and was related to the imported and usage amount reported for penta-BDE technical mixture in Korea. Correlation coefficient between PBDE contribution and technical mixture formulation (Bromokal 70-5DE) were significant (r=0.91, p<0.01) which suggests the influence of sources in this technical mixtures.