Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDE) in human milk from Bizerte, Tunisia

•MeO-PBDEs were determined for the first time in human milk from Tunisia.•6-MeO-BDE-47 was the most predominant congener.•Specific accumulation of MeO-PBDEs according to parity and age of mothers were examined.•Relationships with PBDE levels obtained in our previous study were investigated.•No significant linear relationships were found between BDE-47 and 6-MeO-BDE-47.

Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) were determined in 36 human milk samples collected in 2010 from healthy mothers living in Bizerte region from Tunisia. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry working with negative ion chemical ionization (GC–NCI-MS) was used to identify and quantify residue levels on a lipid basis of organo-brominated compounds. Among the 8 examined MeO-PBDE congeners 6-MeO-BDE-47, 2′-MeO-BDE-68, 4′-MeO-BDE-49 and 5′-MeO-BDE-100 were detected in human milk at different levels and frequencies. This is the first study reporting 5′-MeO-BDE-100 and 4′-MeO-BDE-49 levels in human milk samples. Levels of ∑MeO-PBDEs ranged from 0.23 to 4.70 ng g−1 lipid weight (lw) in the samples, with a mean and median value of 1.52 and 1.11 ng g−1 lw respectively. Concentrations of ∑MeO-PBDEs in human milk were negatively correlated with age of primapara mothers (p<0.05) and no age-dependency was observed for multipara mothers. Primapara mothers had higher levels of MeO-PBDEs than multipara mothers however no statistical significance was observed. A weak correlation between ∑PBDEs and ∑MeO-PBDEs was found but not between BDE-47 and its methoxylated analog 6-MeO-BDE-47, suggesting differences in exposure pathways for these contaminants in humans and further supporting the hypothesis that MeO-PBDEs were likely not only originated from PBDE precursors.