In vitro digestion and absorption of BDE-28, -47, -99 and -153 in indoor dust and its implication in risk assessment

• Bioaccessibility in intestinal phase was higher than that in gastric phase.
• Kmc was significantly negative correlated with KOW value of PBDEs.
• The bioacessibility and the absorption factor should be combined.

The bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in indoor dust was estimated by a series of in vitro digestion methods. However, the absorption of PBDEs by intestinal cells after in vitro digestion was seldom studied. In the present study, the bioaccessibility of BDE-28, 47, 99 and 153 in indoor dust was firstly investigated by using the in vitro digestion method. Bioaccessibility in intestinal phase (BDE-28: 24.5–30.1%; BDE-47: 6.99–13.0; BDE-99: 1.61–14.2%; and BDE-153 5.97–24.4%.) was higher than that in gastric phase (BDE-28: 38.3–58.0; BDE-47: 9.62–30.9%; BDE-99: 9.71–24.3%; and BDE-153: 13.8–57.4%). The organic matter contents in indoor dust showed variable influence on the bioaccessibility of PBDEs. For the Caco-2 uptake assay, the BDE-28 showed greatest transport rate from medium to cell (Kmc: 0.525 h−1), followed by -47, -99 and -153. The Kmc of PBDEs was significantly negative correlated with its corresponding KOW value. Similar pattern was found for the maximum uptake flux (Ju, max) and the transport rate from cell to medium (Kcm). The combination of bioacessibility and the absorption factor by Caco-2 cells could be used to estimate human intake of PBDEs via indoor dust would avoid overestimate the health risk.