Emerging Environmental Contaminants and Their Impact on Human Health

Scientific research has shown that there are many emerging environmental contaminants that can enter, disperse, and persist in the environment to a much greater extent than first anticipated. Many household and industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals are released to the environment after passing through wastewater treatment processes or by re-entering the environment more directly. Little is known about the extent of environmental occurrence, fate, and ultimate impact of many synthetic organic chemicals after their intended use—particularly hormonally active chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Potential concerns from the environmental presence of these compounds in humans include abnormal physiological processes and reproductive impairment, increased incidences of cancer, the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and the potential increased toxicity of chemical mixtures. For many substances, the potential effects on humans, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems are not clearly understood.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), widely used over the past two decades, belong to this class of emerging environmental contaminants of increasing concern. There are more than 75 different BFRs in use today primarily as flame retardants in plastics, textiles, coatings, and electrical components found in many common household and consumer products. The vast majority of this volume is comprised of, in descending order of amount used in the United States, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD).

Studies conducted in Sweden indicated that PBDEs rapidly accumulate in mothers’ milk prompting a ban on their use in Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands in the 1990s. However, currently in the United States there are no established safety standards on the manufacture, use, or disposal of BFRs. BFRs have been determined to be widely distributed in the U.S. environment and are increasing in concentration in the U.S. population.

One reason for the general lack of information about these emerging environmental contaminants is that, until recently, there have been few analytical methods capable of detecting these compounds at low concentrations. Recognizing the need to further evaluate the prevalence of these compounds in the environment, Battelle has developed test methods to quantify their presence in soils, sediments, and tissue. For example, Battelle has recently brought online new low resolution GC/MS methods for high-quality and cost-effective analysis of BFRs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides in a wide variety of environmental matrices.

For information about Battelle’s analytical chemistry methods in terms of emerging environmental contaminants, contact Mr. Greg Durell at (781) 952-5233, durell@battelle.org. For information about Battelle’s risk assessment capabilities related to these contaminants, contact Mr. Donald Gunster at (781) 952-5378, gunster@battelle.org.