Measurement of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Human Brain Tissue Open Access

Abstract

Abstract
Measurement of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Human Brain Tissue
After the toxicity of polybrominated biphenyls or PBBs became evident, they were
replaced by a similar compound, whose toxic effects on the human body are not fully
known. The ubiquitous and rising presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
in the environment has given rise to a variety of hypotheses of their role in
environmentally-related disease. Like many other persistent organic pollutants, their
lipophilic nature has caused them to bioaccumulate and biomagnify, and because of their
continued use, they have been detected in similar concentrations among all age groups. In
order to understand the association between exposure to PBDEs and neurologic disease,
we must first be able to quantify exposure in the target tissue - the brain, and until now,
no method existed for doing so. Using the information available in the existing literature,
we have developed a novel method for analyzing PBDEs in human brain tissue. The
analytic complications encountered when using lipid-rich matrices were overcome by employing
a careful, selective extraction procedure/cleanup in addition to the use of tandem mass
spectrometry (MS/MS) analytical techniques. The data collected from this study demonstrates
that the newly developed method can successfully quantify PBDEs in brain tissue and was
confirmed by the quantification of PBDEs in the archived brain samples. This novel method will
provide a basis with which to work for future studies and will enable the progression of
epidemiological research to study the association between exposure to PBDEs and their potential
relation to neurodegenerative disease.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Basis of Method
2.2. Standard Preparation
2.3. Equipment and Materials
2.4. Procedure
2.5. Method Validation
2.6. Statistical Analysis
2.7. Instrumental Method GC/MS-MS
3. Results
3.1. Method Characteristics
3.1.1. Extraction Recovery Data
3.1.2. Precision and Accuracy
3.2. Method Application
3.2.1. Demographics
3.2.2. Unknown Sample Analysis
4. Discussion
4.1. Method
4.2. Data
4.3. Limitations
4.4. Future Directions
5. Appendices

About this Master's Thesis

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• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Environmental Health
Degree	MPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Keyword	Parkinson's PBDE Brain
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Barr, Dana Boyd, Emory University
Committee Members	Tolbert, Paige, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Does not apply (no collaborating organization)

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