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A One Health approach to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): Integrating human, animal, and environmental health perspectives
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This review takes a One Health approach to examining polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), persistent flame retardant chemicals that contaminate the environment and accumulate in living organisms. Researchers found that PBDEs cause similar harmful effects across species, including hormonal disruption, brain development problems, and immune system damage, with children and pregnant women facing the highest risks. The study also highlights emerging concerns about interactions between PBDEs and microplastics, which may increase how much of these chemicals organisms absorb.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) used as flame retardants that pose interlinked environmental health challenges, making them an ideal focus for One Health assessment. This review synthesizes current scientific knowledge on PBDEs contamination based on a literature analysis of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. It examines shared contamination sources, exposure pathways, toxicological mechanisms, and intervention strategies. PBDEs exemplify the One Health paradigm through their ubiquitous anthropogenic sources, causing global environmental contamination across all health domains. Common exposure pathways (dietary intake, dust inhalation, and maternal transfer), create direct interface between human and wildlife health via contaminated environmental reservoirs. Across species, PBDEs have been linked to convergent toxicological outcomes, including endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental deficits, reproductive impairments, and immunotoxicity, underscoring shared vulnerability patterns. Recent studies highlight the interaction between PBDEs and microplastics, which may enhance bioavailability and introduce novel exposure pathways. Vulnerable populations, notably children and pregnant women, face disproportionate risks requiring targeted interventions, including source control, advanced remediation technologies, and cross-sectoral surveillance systems. Despite regulatory progress, PBDEs remain a persistent global concern due to environmental persistence, continued emissions from legacy products, and emerging vectors such as microplastic-mediated transport. Addressing these challenges demands coordinated, cross-sectoral approaches that integrate environmental monitoring, transdisciplinary research, and harmonized regulatory frameworks. The One Health perspective offers a robust and holistic model for managing PBDEs and related POPs, emphasizing the urgency of collaborative solutions that recognize the intrinsic interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health in combating global contamination challenges.
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Toxic Effects and Mechanisms of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers
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This review summarizes the toxic effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), flame retardant chemicals commonly added to plastics and textiles. PBDEs accumulate in human tissues including the liver, brain, and breast milk, and have been linked to damage in the liver, kidneys, thyroid, brain, and reproductive system. These chemicals are relevant to microplastics because PBDEs can attach to microplastic surfaces and be transported into the body, increasing human exposure through food and water.
A review on effects of microplastics on animal, environment and human health considering One Health perspective
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This review examines the effects of microplastics on animal, environmental, and human health from a One Health perspective, highlighting how microplastic contamination interconnects ecological, animal, and human health systems.
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This review takes a "One Health" approach to microplastics, examining how they affect animal health, human health, and the environment as interconnected systems. The authors caution that many lab studies use microplastic concentrations far higher than what is found in nature, making their results hard to apply to real-world risk. However, they note that microplastics can indirectly affect human health by disrupting ecosystems and soil processes that support food production and clean water.
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Human Health: Effects on Metabolism, Diabetes and Cancer
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This review by a panel of Italian medical experts examines how polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) — flame retardants found in industrial products and household items — disrupt hormonal signaling and may contribute to metabolic disorders, diabetes, and cancer through both molecular and clinical mechanisms.
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