A family-based risk assessment of PBDE exposure using a multi-pathway approach: Integrating diet, dust, air and serum measurements.

Dietary intake accounts for 85.3% of PBDE exposure in families, with adolescents experiencing median EDIs of 4940 pg/kg/day, highlighting diet as the primary pathway.

• Why it matters: Understanding individual and household exposure sources is crucial for assessing health risks and developing targeted interventions for PBDE contamination.
• What they did: The study analyzed PBDE levels in indoor air, dust, diet, and serum from 124 individuals across 48 South Korean households, comparing pathways and individual variability.
• The result: Findings show exposure varies more between individuals than families, with higher-brominated congeners like BDE-209 dominating intake, yet overall risk remains limited at the population level.