Chapter 51 Brominated Flame Retardants and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) belong to a class of chemicals known as organo-halogens or halogenated organic chemicals (HOCs). These chemicals have benefited society in multiple capacities, including their life-saving anti-flammable and biocidal properties.  However, due to their widespread use, the environmental contamination from these chemicals is a global issue. These chemicals are often referred to as persistent organic pollutants because their unique properties, such as hydrophobicity and lipophilicity, lead to their accumulation in biological tissues. In addition, low biodegradability and volatility has led to their long-range transportation via atmospheric and ocean currents, resulting in widespread environmental contamination of animals and humans at sites remote from where these chemicals are produced and used. Exposure to BFRs and/or PFASs may result in serious health effects, including endocrine disruption, reproductive and immune dysfunction, birth defects, developmental neurotoxicity, and certain types of cancers in mammals and wildlife. Exposure to BFRs and PFASs in farm animals is of great concern because these compounds can affect their health as well as serve as a source for human exposure via consumption of contaminated meat and/or dairy products. This chapter focuses on BFRs and PFASs, discussing their physicochemical properties, exposure, pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, and effects, with emphasis on domestic animals.

Impact/Purpose

This book chapter has updated information from the last five years on Brominated flame retardants and per- and polyfluroalkyl substances.  This book chapter is a fourth edition for the book entitled "VETERINARY TOXICOLOGY".  This is very informative because it emphasizes not only the environmental levels and routes of human exposure to these environmental pollutants, but also the human and veterinaty animal health effects focusing on reproductive, endocrine, neuro, and developmental effects. Additionally, the mechanisms (both biochemical and molecular) that underlie the observed toxicities of these chemicals were given due consideration. Some of the key biochemical endpoints such as enzymes, metabolites and cellular macromolecule (protein, lipids and nucleic acids) changes serve as biomarkers of effect upon exposure to the above-mentioned pollutants. This book chapter provides valuable insights to employing these biomarkers for toxicity studies. This information will be of use when dose-response studies are carried out for risk assessment purposes. The revised narrative in this chapter is supported by recent literature to make the knowledge base current.

Citation

Kodavanti, P., N. Yamashita, E. Hines, A. Dixon, L. Meyrueix, D. Freeborn, AND T. Stoker. Chapter 51 Brominated Flame Retardants and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Chapter 51, Ramesh C. Gupta VETERINARY TOXICOLOGY by Elsevier. Academic Press, Cambridge, MA, 1:705-721, (2025).