Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Sci Total Environ. 2013 Feb 15;445-446:177-84. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.12.017. Epub 2013 Jan 16.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used in the manufacture of a variety of materials and consumer products in order to meet fire safety standards. BFRs may persist in the environment and have been detected in wildlife, humans and indoor dust and air. Some BFRs have demonstrated endocrine and reproductive effects in animals, but human studies are limited. In this exploratory study, we measured serum hormone levels and flame retardant concentrations [31 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners and 6 alternate flame retardants] in house dust from men recruited through a US infertility clinic. PBDE congeners in dust were grouped by commercial mixtures (i.e. penta-, octa- and deca-BDE). In multivariable linear regression models adjusted by age and body mass index (BMI), significant positive associations were found between house dust concentrations of pentaBDEs and serum levels of free T4, total T3, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), along with an inverse association with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). There were also positive associations of octaBDE concentrations with serum free T4, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone and an inverse association of decaBDE concentrations with testosterone. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) was associated with decreased SHBG and increased free androgen index. Dust concentrations of bis-tribromophenoxyethane (BTBPE) and tetrabromo-diethylhexylphthalate (TBPH) were positively associated with total T3. These findings are consistent with our previous report of associations between PBDEs (BDE 47, 99 and 100) in house dust and hormone levels in men, and further suggest that exposure to contaminants in indoor dust may be leading to endocrine disruption in men.
溴化阻燃剂（BFRs）用于制造各种材料和消费品，以满足消防安全标准。BFRs 可能会在环境中持续存在，并已在野生动物、人类和室内灰尘和空气中检测到。一些 BFRs 在动物中表现出内分泌和生殖效应，但人类研究有限。在这项探索性研究中，我们测量了通过美国不孕诊所招募的男性的血清激素水平和阻燃剂浓度[31 种多溴二苯醚（PBDE）同系物和 6 种替代阻燃剂]在室内灰尘中。灰尘中的 PBDE 同系物按商业混合物（即五溴、八溴和十溴）分组。在经过年龄和体重指数（BMI）调整的多变量线性回归模型中，发现五溴 PBDEs 与血清游离 T4、总 T3、雌二醇和性激素结合球蛋白（SHBG）水平呈正相关，与促卵泡激素（FSH）呈负相关。八溴 PBDE 浓度与血清游离 T4、促甲状腺激素（TSH）、黄体生成素（LH）和睾酮呈正相关，十溴 PBDE 浓度与睾酮呈负相关。六溴环十二烷（HBCD）与 SHBG 降低和游离雄激素指数增加有关。双三溴苯氧基乙烷（BTBPE）和四溴二乙基己基邻苯二甲酸酯（TBPH）的灰尘浓度与总 T3 呈正相关。这些发现与我们之前关于室内灰尘中 PBDEs（BDE 47、99 和 100）与男性激素水平之间的关联报告一致，并进一步表明，室内灰尘中污染物的暴露可能导致男性内分泌紊乱。
