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Vol. 62 No. 3 (2026)
DOI: 10.4415/ANN_26_03_06
Original Articles
2026-07-09
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Current background human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers: a review

Authors

Annalisa Abballe , Isotta Cursi , Valentina Marra , Noemi Milia , Roberto Miniero , Silvia Valentini , Anna Maria Ingelido

Abstract

Introduction. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used as flame retardants for years, until they were banned following their inclusion in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001). The chemical and physical properties of PBDEs determine their ability to spread and accumulate in the environment and bioaccumulate along food chains. More than 90% of total human exposure to PBDEs comes from food. Chronic exposure to PBDEs can cause hepatotoxic, thyrotoxic, neurotoxic, genotoxic, immunotoxic, developmental toxic and potential carcinogenic effects in humans. Although the ban began decades ago, PBDEs are still present in various environmental matrices.
Method. This review aims to assess the current picture of human exposure to PBDEs by collecting and evaluating data from human biomonitoring studies available worldwide over the last 10 years. Results and conclusions. The analysis of chosen papers suggests that levels of BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100 and BDE-153 have a global unclear trend, depending on the geographical area in question in the last ten years.

Keywords: human exposure, PBDEs, flame retardants, general population, concentration levels in biological fluids

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Authors

Annalisa Abballe - Unità Esposizione Umana a Contaminanti Ambientali, Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Isotta Cursi - Unità Esposizione Umana a Contaminanti Ambientali, Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Valentina Marra - Unità Esposizione Umana a Contaminanti Ambientali, Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Noemi Milia - Unità Esposizione Umana a Contaminanti Ambientali, Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Roberto Miniero - Unità Esposizione Umana a Contaminanti Ambientali, Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Silvia Valentini - Unità Esposizione Umana a Contaminanti Ambientali, Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Anna Maria Ingelido - Unità Esposizione Umana a Contaminanti Ambientali, Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright

Copyright (c) 2026 Istituto Superiore di Sanità

How to Cite
Abballe, A., Cursi, I., Marra, V., Milia, N., Miniero, R., Valentini, S., & Ingelido, A. M. (2026). Current background human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers: a review. Annali dell’Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 62(3), 232–240. https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_03_06
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