Novel Natural and Synthetic Organobromine Compounds in the Environment: Toxic or Therapeutic?

有机溴化合物可以是天然的或合成的。 溴化阻燃剂（BFR），如多溴二苯醚（PBDE）和多溴联苯（PBBs），由于产量高，使用广泛，在环境中无处不在，以及毒性而受到关注。 羟基化和甲氧基化多溴二苯醚在水生生态系统中的浓度通常高于多溴二苯醚的浓度。 合成的BRP也被生产出来并广泛用作阻燃剂。 在逐步淘汰多溴二苯醚配方的同时，多达75种新的合成溴化阻燃剂正在被取代。 预计这些新化合物将开始进入环境。 除了已知的合成溴（Br）化合物在环境中，还有一些未识别的有机溴（OBrs）在环境中。 虽然已经在一些环境样品中研究了EOBrs，但很少有研究确定可以识别的EOBr的比例以及EOBr的天然产物或合成化合物的比例。 初步研究表明，环境样品中可提取的有机溴化合物（EOBr）和总溴（TBr）的识别率不到1%。 拟议的研究将：1）在一系列海洋和淡水生物中识别和量化新的EOBrs; 2）使用质量平衡（对Br）方法来确定可能存在哪些额外的EOBrs;一种TBr、EOBr和五类已鉴定EOBrs的提取和净化方法，基于分子大小和极性的方法已经开发并将应用，以便可以应用适当的后续鉴定程序，以及3）使用生物测定来确定新型EOBrs的毒性和潜在有益作用将进行一系列生物测定来确定：1）它们的毒性作用模式和作用阈值和2）它们作为治疗剂的潜力。 如果化合物被确定为毒性太大，则不会进一步测试它们的治疗特性。

Organobromine compounds can be natural or synthetic. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) are of concern due to high production volume, widespread use, ubiquitous occurrence in the environment, and toxicity. Concentrations of hydroxylated and methoxylated PBDEs in aquatic ecosystems are often greater than those of PBDEs. Synthetic BRPs have also been produced and widely used as flame retardants. While PBDE formulations are being phased out, as many as 75 new classes of synthetic BFRs are being substituted. It is expected that these new compounds will begin to enter the environment. In addition to the known synthetic bromine (Br)-containing compounds in the environment, there are a number of unidentified organobromine (OBrs) in the environment. While EOBrs have been investigated in some environmental samples, few studies have determined the proportion of EOBr that can be identified and what proportion of EOBr is composed of natural products or synthetic compounds. Preliminary studies have shown that less than 1% of extractable organic Br compounds (EOBr) and total Br (TBr) in environmental samples could be identified. The proposed research will: 1) identify and quantify novel EOBrs in a range of marine and freshwater organisms; 2) use a mass balance (on Br) approach to determine what additional EOBrs might be present; An extraction and cleanup method for TBr, EOBr and five classes of identified EOBrs, based on molecular size and polarity has been developed and will be applied so that appropriate subsequent identification procedures can be applied and 3) use bioassays to determine the toxicity and potential beneficial effects of novel EOBrs will be subjected to a range of bioassays to determine: 1) their toxic mode of action and threshold for effects and 2) their potential as therapeutic agents. If compounds are determined to be too toxic, they will not be tested further for therapeutic properties.