Associations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk and dietary habits and demographic factors in Taiwan

The aim of this study was to examine levels of PBDEs in breast milk associated with seafood consumptions of Taiwanese mothers. Our participants were selected from healthy women recruited between December 2000 and November 2001 from a medical center in central Taiwan. The congeners of PBDEs in 20 milk samples were analyzed by a gas chromatograph with a high resolution mass detector. The mean level of BDE47 in breast milk from mothers with pre-pregnant BMI <22.0 kg/m2 had a significantly higher magnitude compared to those with pre-pregnant BMI ⩾22.0 kg/m2 (1.59 vs. 0.995 ng/g lipid, p = 0.041). We did not find significant correlations between PBDEs exposure levels and women’s age, parity, blood pressure, annual household income, and education level. Women who ate more fish and meat did not show significantly higher PBDE levels than those who ate less, but a significant difference in PBDE levels was demonstrated between the higher (2.15 ng/g lipid) and lower (3.98 ng/g lipid) shellfish consuming subjects (p = 0.002) after an adjustment for the confounders. The ratios of PCB153/BDE47, PCB153/BDE153, and PCB153/PBDEs were significantly correlated with frequent consumption of fish and shellfish. The PCB153/BDE153 ratio was not associated with the other dietary habits (i.e. meat). The ratios of PCB153/PBDEs may therefore be a new indicator for exposure as a result of seafood consumption.