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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 

Division of Toxicology September 2004 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for 

Polybrominated Biphenyls and Polybrominated 

Diphenyl Ethers. It is one in a series of Public 

Health Statements about hazardous substances and 

their health effects. A shorter version, the 

ToxFAQsTM, is also available. This information is 

important because these substances may harm you. 

The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance 

depend on the dose, the duration, how you are 

exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether 

other chemicals are present. For more information, 

call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422­

8737. 

This public health statement tells you about 

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and the 

effects of exposure to PBDEs. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in 

the nation. These sites are then placed on the 

National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for 

long-term federal clean-up activities. PBDEs have 

not been found in the 1,647 current or former NPL 

sites. Although the total number of NPL sites 

evaluated for these substances is not known, the 

possibility exists that PBDEs may be found in the 

future as more sites are evaluated. This information 

is important because these sites may be sources of 

exposure and exposure to these substances may 

harm you. 

When a substance is released either from a large 

area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, 

such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. 

Such a release does not always lead to exposure. 

You can be exposed to a substance only when you 

come in contact with it. You may be exposed by 

breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by 

skin contact. 

If you are exposed to PBDEs, many factors will 

determine whether you will be harmed. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), and how you come in contact with 

PBDEs. You must also consider any other 

chemicals you are exposed to and your age, sex, 

diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT ARE PBDEs? 

PBDEs are flame-retardant chemicals that are added 

to a variety of consumer products to make them 

difficult to burn. Because PBDEs are added rather 

than reacted to the product, they could leave the 

product under ideal conditions and enter the 

environment, but this rarely happens. The first 

commercial productions of PBDEs began in the 

1970s in Germany. Production of PBDEs has 

continued until the present. There are three 

commercial PBDE products (i.e., penta-, octa-, and 

decabromodiphenyl ethers). Deca- and octabrominated types of PBDEs are also produced 

outside of the United States (in China and Israel). 

Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) makes up 

82% of these products manufactured globally. Its 

main use is for electronic enclosures, such as 

television cabinets. Octabromodiphenyl ether 

(octaBDE) product is used in plastics for business 

equipment. Pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE) 

product is used in foam for cushioning in 

upholstery. PBDEs have not been associated with 

actual health-related effects. Concerns have 

increased, however, because some of these 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 

Division of Toxicology September 2004 

chemicals (particularly the pentaBDEs) have been 

found in the environment at varying concentrations. 

Environmental concentrations of lower brominated 

PBDEs, which may be leveling off in Europe, 

appear to be increasing in certain areas of Canada 

and the United States. 

PBDEs are a group of synthetic organic chemicals 

with no known natural sources in the environment, 

except for a few marine organisms that produce 

forms of PBDEs that contain higher levels of 

oxygen. Commercial decaBDE and octaBDE 

products are colorless to off-white solids, whereas 

commercial pentaBDE product is a thick liquid. 

PBDEs are not expected to evaporate into the air. 

PBDEs in the air are mostly found with dust rather 

than as a vapor. PBDEs enter the environment as 

mixtures containing a variety of individual 

brominated diphenyl ether (for PBDEs) 

components, known as congeners. Congeners are 

distinct members of a class of chemical substances. 

Some commercial mixtures of PBDEs may be 

known by their industrial trade names, (i.e., DE-60F 

Special, DE-61, DE-62, DE-71, DE-79, DE-83R, 

Saytex® 102E). PBDEs are still produced and 

widely used in the United States, although the sole 

manufacturer of penta- and octaPBDE commercial 

products in the United States is expected to quit 

making these chemicals by the end of 2004. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO PBDEs WHEN 

THEY ENTER THE ENVIRONMENT? 

PBDEs enter air, water, and soil during their 

manufacture and use in consumer products. When 

PBDEs are suspended in air, they can be present as 

particles. They eventually return to land or water as 

the dust settles and are washed out by snow and 

rainwater. It is not yet possible to say how long 

PBDEs remain in the air. PBDEs do not dissolve 

easily in water, and therefore, high levels of PBDEs 

are not found in water. The very small amounts of 

PBDEs that do occur in water stick to particles and 

eventually settle to the bottom. Sediments at the 

bottom of bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers, 

generally act as reservoirs for decaBDEs, which can 

remain there for years. Some lower brominated 

PBDEs (e.g., tetra- and penta-congeners of PBDE) 

in water may build up in fish to low concentrations 

(about 10 billionths of a gram to 1 millionth of a 

gram of PDBE per gram of fresh fish [or 10x10-9– 

1x10-6 grams of PBDE per gram of fresh fish]). 

However, higher brominated PBDEs, such as 

decaBDE, are not found in fish at measurable 

concentrations. In general, the breakdown of 

PBDEs in soil is very slow, so they may remain in 

soil for several years. PBDEs bind strongly to soil 

particles. Rainwater is not expected to spread them 

much below the soil surface; thus, it is unlikely that 

PBDEs will enter groundwater. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

PBDEs? 

Certain PBDE mixtures, especially decaBDE, are 

produced in many places in the world. Currently, 

the United States is the only producer of the 

pentaBDE mixture for commerce. However, 

production pentaBDE and octaBDE for commerce 

soon will begin to be phased out in the United 

States and elsewhere. Lower brominated PBDEs, 

such as tetraBDE and pentaBDE congeners, are 

found throughout the environment and are found at 

low levels in air, sediments, animals, and food. The 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 

Division of Toxicology September 2004 

concentrations of lower brominated PBDEs in 

blood, breast milk, and body fat indicate that most 

people are exposed to low levels of these PBDEs. 

Concentrations of lower brominated PBDEs have 

been increasing in tissues and body fluids of 

individuals living in the United States. Currently, 

levels of lower brominated PBDE congeners in 

individuals living in the United States are greater 

than levels reported in other regions of the world. 

Highly brominated congeners, such as decaBDE, 

are not commonly found throughout the 

environment. They may be found at low levels 

close to places where they are produced or used. In 

2001, PBDEs were detected in dust and smoke 

samples taken near the World Trade Center disaster 

site. Although no definitive studies in the United 

States have been conducted to identify the sources 

of exposure, people appear to be exposed to the 

lower brominated congeners of PBDEs by eating 

food that contains these PBDEs. In the United 

States, the concentration of PBDEs (primarily the 

tetra- and penta-brominated congeners of PBDEs) 

in outdoor air ranges from 2 to 77 trillionths of a 

gram per cubic meter (or 2–77x10-12 grams/m3

), 

which indicates low levels of exposure of the 

general population to these PBDEs. Indoor air 

concentrations of PBDEs in lecture halls, indoor 

environments with computers, and rooms with 

computers or other electronic devices, such as 

television sets, also have low levels of PBDEs in 

suspended dust. Workers involved in the 

manufacture and production of PBDE-containing 

resins are exposed to higher concentrations of 

PBDEs. Occupational exposure can also occur in 

confined workplaces where plastic and foam 

products containing PBDEs are recycled, or where 

computer monitors containing PBDEs are repaired. 

People who live near hazardous waste sites may be 

exposed to PBDEs by breathing air containing 

PBDE-contaminated dust. However, PBDE 

eventually settles or washes out of the air, so this 

potential exposure route likely to be minimal. 

1.4 HOW CAN PBDEs ENTER AND LEAVE 

MY BODY? 

The main source of exposure to PBDEs may be 

through foods, particularly those with high fat 

content, such as fatty fish. Some lower brominated 

PBDEs have been detected in air samples, 

indicating that people can also be exposed by 

inhalation. The ways that PBDEs might enter and 

leave your body depend on the chemical structures 

of the congener components. The higher 

brominated PBDEs, particularly decaBDE (the 

major PBDE in use today), act much differently in 

the body than do lower brominated PBDEs. If you 

breathe air that contains PBDEs, or swallow food, 

water, or soil contaminated with PBDEs, the lower 

brominated congeners are much more likely than 

decaBDE to enter your body through your lungs and 

stomach and pass into the bloodstream. If you 

touch soil containing PBDEs, which could happen 

at a hazardous waste site, it is highly unlikely that 

either lower or higher brominated PBDEs would 

pass through your skin into the bloodstream. Once 

PBDEs are in your body, the congeners might 

partially change into breakdown products called 

metabolites. DecaBDE might leave your body 

unchanged or as metabolites, mainly in the feces 

and in very small amounts in the urine, within a few 

days. Lower brominated PBDEs, generally tetra-, 

penta-, and hexaBDE congeners, might stay in your 

body for many years, stored mainly in body fat. 

The lower brominated PBDEs also tend to 

concentrate in breast milk fat, and can enter the 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 

Division of Toxicology September 2004 

bodies of children through breast feeding. PBDEs 

also can enter the bodies of unborn babies through 

the placenta. 

1.5 HOW CAN PBDEs AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

Scientists use many tests to protect the public from 

harmful effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways 

for treating persons who have been harmed. 

One way to learn whether a chemical will harm 

people is to determine how the body absorbs, uses, 

and releases the chemical. For some chemicals, 

animal testing may be necessary. Animal testing 

may also help identify health effects such as cancer 

or birth defects. Without laboratory animals, 

scientists would lose a basic method for getting 

information needed to make wise decisions that 

protect public health. Scientists have the 

responsibility to treat research animals with care 

and compassion. Scientists must comply with strict 

animal care guidelines because laws today protect 

the welfare of research animals. 

Nothing definite is known about the health effects 

of PBDEs in people. Practically all of the available 

information is from studies of laboratory animals. 

Animal studies indicate that commercial decaBDE 

mixtures are generally much less toxic than the 

products containing lower brominated PBDEs. 

Because of its very different toxicity, decaBDE is 

expected to have relatively little effect on the health 

of humans. Rats and mice that ate food containing 

moderate amounts of lower brominated PBDEs for 

short periods of time had mainly thyroid effects. 

Rats and mice that ate smaller amounts over several 

weeks or months developed effects in the liver and 

in the thyroid. It is speculated that many of the 

thyroid effects of PBDEs are specific to the species 

of test animals, suggesting that they are less likely 

to occur in humans. Subtle behavioral changes 

have been observed in animals exposed to PBDEs 

as infants. One possible explanation for the 

behavioral effects might be related to changes in the 

thyroid, because development of the nervous system 

is dependent on thyroid hormones. PBDEs have not 

caused other kinds of birth defects in animals, but 

more studies are needed to determine if PBDEs can 

impair reproduction. Preliminary findings from 

short-term animal studies suggest that some PBDEs 

might impair the immune system. Animals exposed 

to PBDEs by skin contact showed signs of skin 

irritation only if they had been scratched. 

We don’t know if PBDEs can cause cancer in 

people, although liver tumors developed in rats and 

mice that ate extremely large amounts of decaBDE 

throughout their lifetime. On the basis of evidence 

for cancer in animals, decaBDE is classified as a 

possible human carcinogen by EPA. Lower 

brominated PBDEs have not yet been tested for 

cancer. Neither the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services (DHHS) nor the International 

Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have 

classified the carcinogenicity of any PBDEs. 

We don’t know whether the effects found in 

animals exposed to PBDEs would also occur in 

people exposed in the same way. The amounts of 

PBDEs that caused health effects in animals are 

much greater than levels of PBDEs normally found 

in the environment. Long-term exposure to PBDEs 

has a greater potential to cause health effects than 

does short-term exposure to low levels because of 

their tendency to build up in your body over many 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 

Division of Toxicology September 2004 

years. Additionally, the lower brominated 

commercial pentaBDE and octaBDE products are 

much more likely to cause health effects than is 

decaBDE. 

1.6 HOW CAN PBDEs AFFECT 

CHILDREN? 

This section discusses potential health effects in 

humans from exposures during the period from 

conception to maturity at 18 years of age. 

Children are exposed to PBDEs in generally the 

same way as are adults, probably mainly by eating 

contaminated food. Because of their smaller 

weight, children’s intake of PBDEs per kilogram (or 

pound) of body weight may be greater than that of 

adults. The most likely way that infants might be 

exposed to PBDEs is from breast milk containing 

lower brominated congeners, although fetuses in the 

womb could also be exposed. DecaBDE is poorly 

absorbed in the body and, therefore, is unlikely to 

be found in breast milk or the fetus to any 

significant extent. Children who live near 

hazardous waste sites might accidentally eat some 

PBDEs by putting dirty hands or other soil/dirt 

covered objects in their mouths, or through eating 

without washing their hands. Some children also 

eat dirt on purpose. It is also possible that children 

could be exposed to PBDEs following transport of 

the chemical on clothing from the parent’s 

workplace to the home. 

As indicated above, children can be exposed to 

PBDEs—mainly the lower brominated congeners— 

both before birth and from breast milk. The lower 

brominated PBDEs are much more likely than 

decaBDE to be stored in the mother’s body and 

released during pregnancy, cross the placenta, and 

entering fetal tissues. Because lower brominated 

PBDEs dissolve readily in fat, they can accumulate 

in breast milk fat and be transferred to babies and 

young children. Lower brominated PBDEs have 

been found in breast milk. In most cases, however, 

the benefits of breast-feeding outweigh any risks 

from exposure in mother’s milk. You should 

consult your health care provider if you have any 

concerns about PBDEs and breast feeding. The 

nervous system and thyroid are still developing in 

the fetus and child. That means the effects of lower 

brominated PBDEs on these systems might be more 

significant if exposure occurs during the periods 

before and soon after birth. That suggests that 

fetuses and children are more susceptible to PBDEs 

than adults. 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE 

RISK OF EXPOSURE TO PBDEs? 

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to 

substantial amounts of PBDEs, ask whether your 

children might also have been exposed. Your 

doctor might need to ask your state health 

department to investigate. 

PBDEs are currently in widespread production and 

use. However, production of commercial 

pentaBDE and octaBDE products will soon begin to 

be phased out in the United States and elsewhere. 

You and your children may by exposed to lower 

brominated PBDEs by eating fish or wildlife from 

contaminated locations. Children who live near 

hazardous waste sites should be discouraged from 

playing in the dirt near these sites because they 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 

Division of Toxicology September 2004 

could contain PBDEs. Children should also be 

discouraged from eating dirt, and careful 

handwashing practices should be followed. 

As mentioned in Section 2.3, workplace exposure to 

PBDEs can occur during the production of 

commercial PBDE mixtures and of PBDEcontaining plastic products. Workers involved in 

recycling plastic products, or who repair computers 

in confined workplaces can also be exposed to 

PBDEs. If you are exposed to PBDEs while at 

work, you may carry them home on your clothes or 

body. Your occupational health and safety officer 

at work can tell you whether the products you work 

with may contain PBDEs and whether those are 

likely to be carried home. If this is the case, you 

should shower and change clothing before leaving 

work. Your work clothes should be kept separate 

from other clothes and laundered separately. 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO PBDEs? 

Special tests can determine whether PBDEs are in 

the blood, body fat, and breast milk. These are not 

regular or routine clinical tests, but could be ordered 

by a doctor to detect PBDEs in people exposed to 

them in the environment and at work. If your 

PBDE levels are higher than the normal levels, this 

will show that you have been exposed to high levels 

of the chemicals. However, these measurements 

cannot determine the exact amount or type of 

PBDEs that you have been exposed to, or how long 

you have been exposed. Blood tests cannot 

distinguish between recent or past exposures to 

PBDEs because these chemicals remain in the body 

a long time. Although tests can indicate whether 

you have been exposed to PBDEs to a greater extent 

than the general population, they do not predict 

whether you will be harmed. Blood tests are the 

easiest, safest, and probably the best method for 

detecting recent exposures to large amounts of 

PBDEs. Results of such tests should be reviewed 

and carefully interpreted by physicians with a 

background in environmental and occupational 

medicine. Nearly everyone has been exposed to 

pentaBDE commercial mixtures because they are 

found throughout the environment. That means 

people are more likely to have detectable amounts 

of the lower brominated PBDEs in their blood, fat, 

and breast milk. Recent studies have shown that 

levels of lower brominated PBDEs in the general 

population of the United States continue to rise. 

The U.S. levels are 10–100 times higher than levels 

in individuals living in Europe. 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. The EPA, the 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) are some federal agencies that develop 

regulations for toxic substances. Recommendations 

provide valuable guidelines to protect public health, 

but cannot be enforced by law. The Agency for 

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 

and the National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health (NIOSH) are two federal organizations 

that develop recommendations for toxic substances. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 

Division of Toxicology September 2004 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

as “not-to-exceed” levels, that is, levels of a toxic 

substance in air, water, soil, or food that do not 

exceed a critical value that is usually based on 

levels that affect animals. Those levels are then 

adjusted to levels that will help protect humans. 

Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among 

federal organizations because they used different 

exposure times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour 

day), different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also updated 

periodically as more information becomes available. 

For the most current information, check with the 

federal agency or organization that provides it. 

Some regulations and recommendations for PBDEs 

include the following: 

EPA requires that companies that transport, store, or 

dispose of p-bromodiphenyl ether (a particular 

PBDE compound not found in any commercial 

PBDE product) follow the rules and regulations of 

the federal hazardous waste management program. 

EPA also limits the amount of p-bromodiphenyl 

ether put into publicly owned waste water treatment 

plants. To minimize exposure of people to pbromodiphenyl ether, EPA requires that industry 

tell the National Response Center each time 

100 pounds or more of p-bromodiphenyl ether have 

been released to the environment. 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department, your regional 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission office, or contact 

ATSDR at the address and phone number below. 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

Toxicological profiles are also available on-line at 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov and on CD-ROM. You may 

request a copy of the ATSDR ToxProfilesTM 

CD-ROM by calling the information and technical 

assistance toll-free number at 1-888-42ATSDR 

(1-888-422-8737), by email at atsdric@cdc.gov, or 

by writing to: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE 

 Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

 Fax: 1-770-488-4178 

For-profit organizations may request a copy of final 

profiles from the following: 

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 1-800-553-6847 or 1-703-605-6000 

Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/ 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov