Hydrodebromination of Decabromodiphenyl Ether (BDE-209) in Cooking Experiments with Salmon Fillet

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are environmental contaminants regularly detected in biota and food. Seafood has been identified as the major dietary source for human uptake. Fish is predominantly consumed after cooking and. this process may alter the actual human intake of contaminants. This study: aimed to investigate the fate of PBDEs in this cooking process. Heating of fish fortified with 2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5',6,6'-decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) at typical cooking conditions (200 degrees C, in plant oil) resulted in a decrease of its concentration in favor of the formation of lower, brominated congeners. After 15 mm, similar to 25% of BDE-209 was transformed into nona- to octabrominated congeners. The major transformation route was BDE-209 -> BDE-206 -> BDE-196 and BDE-199. Low amounts of heptabrominated congeners as well as one hexabromodibenzofuran and a heptabromodibenzofuran isomer were also detected. However, penta- and tetrabrominated diphenyl ethers were not observed, and heating of BDE-47, did not produce new transformation products.