Prospective cohort study of association of exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and risk of cancer mortality

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are an important group of persistent organic pollutants with endocrine-disrupting properties. A US nationally representative cohort study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2004 and linked mortality information through 2019. Adults with available serum PBDE measurements and mortality information were included. The duration of follow-up was 16,162 person-years. Participants with higher serum PBDE levels were at higher risk for death. After adjustment for age, sex, race and ethnicity, lifestyle and socioecomic factors, participants in the highest tertile of serum PBDE level had an approximately 300% increased risk of cancer mortality compared with those in the lowest tertile (HR 4.09; 95% CI 1.71-0.79), while there was no significant association of PBDE serum levels with all-cause mortality (1.43; 0.98-2.07) or cardiovascular mortality (0.92; 0.41-2.08). The author conclude that PBDE exposure was significantly associated with increased risk of cancer mortality.