Elucidation of real situation of environment, diet and human contamination by PBDEs in urban area of Japan

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At present, little is known about the occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in fish and food products sold in Japan. To investigate whether human exposure to PBDEs through the diet is significant, the concentrations of PBDEs were determined in fish and in meat and vegetables sold in two food markets in the city of Hirakita, Osaka prefecture. The concentrations of PBDEs in the breast milk of 12 primiparae nursing women at one month after delivery also were determined to ascertain the relationship between the levels found in the diet and levels in humans. E PBDEs concentrations ranged between 21 and 1,650 pg/g fresh weight in the edible tissues of five species of fish and one shellfish species. The highest concentrations were measured in yellow-fin tuna, followed by short-necked clam, salmon, yellowtail, mackerel and young yellowtail. Interestingly, 」 PBDE concentrations were not statistically significantly different in two cultured mackerel samples from Japan and mackerel collected from northern European waters. E PBDE concentrations in beef, pork and chicken meat (ranging between 6.25 and 63.6 pg/g fresh weight) and hi three different vegetables (ranging between 38.4 and 134 pg/g fresh weight) were significantly lower than the concentrations in fish/ In human milk, 2 PBDE concentrations ranged between 668 and 2,840 pg/g lipid basis, which is comparable to the levels in populations of nursing women reported hi Sweden and elsewhere. There was a strong positive relationship between PBDE concentrations in human milk and dietary intake of fish and shellfish, which was established in the women from responses to a questionaire on food consumption habits. The results of this study of food products commonly consumed in Japan and the levels found in nursing women raises a concern about low level PBDE contamination of fish and other foods intended for human consumption.