Exploring Body Burdens of Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs) and Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)

The summary for the Exploring Body Burdens of Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs) and Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Environmental Protection Agency, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Exploring Body Burdens of Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs) and Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD): EPA desires to support research to expand current understanding of the impact of brominated flame retardants. A variety of brominated flame retardants are of particular concern. The polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) are a class of chemicals widely used as flame retardants. A number of studies in the United States indicate that concentrations of PBDEs in human populations are quite high and seem to be increasing (1,2). Levels measured in breast milk of women in the U.S. are 10-100 times greater than in Europe (3). The flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is also widely used, but there is significantly less information on its occurrence in humans and the environment. HBCD is used in polystyrene foams and as a backcoating in fabrics. Limited studies to date indicate the HBCD has a high potential to bioaccumulate, is likely very persistent, and seems to have similar neurotoxicological and thyroid disruption properties as some of the PBDEs. There is a need for further research to quantify the levels and body burdens of PBDEs and HBCD within the U.S. population, and to identify possible routes of exposure as well as to identify potential genetic differences that may affect body burdens.