Mini-review: polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants as potential autism risk factors
Abstract
Brominated flame retardants, including Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used at increasing levels in home furnishings and electronics over the past 25 years. They have also become widespread environmental pollutants. High PBDE levels have been detected in food, household dust, and indoor air, with subsequent appearance in animal and human tissues. This minireview summarizes studies on the extent to which these compounds can act as potent thyroid hormone mimetics, and emerging studies on long-term neurological effects of acute administration of PBDEs during development. When these data are considered in combination with the extensive literature on stage-dependent effects of thyroid hormone on aspects of brain development that are also implicated in autistic brains, a hypothesis that PBDEs might also serve as autism risk factors emerges. Studies designed to explicitly test this hypothesis will require chronic exposure paradigms, and specific body burden and behavioral monitoring in animal models. Such testing may help to prioritize extensive human epidemiological studies, as well as offer protocols for evaluation of future compounds.
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PBDEs are structurally similar to thyroid hormone, which is required during discrete neurodevelopmental periods.
“PBDEs are structurally similar to thyroid hormone, which is required during discrete periods of neurodevelopment.”
From Environmental Chemical Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence (2014) · cites this paper as [146]
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- Authors
- Messer, A.
- Affiliations
- New York State Department of Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Messer, Anne
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-06
- Volume
- 100
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 245-249
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2012335431
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 79
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 0.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Keywords
- polybrominated diphenyl ethers, brominated flame retardants, autism risk factors, thyroid hormones, brain development, developmental neurotoxicity, environmental pollutants, endocrine disruptors, long-term exposure, autism spectrum disorder
- MeSH terms
- Autistic Disorder, Body Burden, Brain, Environmental Exposure, Environmental Pollutants, Flame Retardants, Humans, Risk Factors, Thyroid Hormones, Risk Assessment, Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
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