Effect of smoking and caffeine consumption on polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBB).

Effect of smoking and caffeine consumption (CC) on the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) has not been adequately studied. Data from 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 1013) to simultaneously evaluate the effect of smoking and CC on levels of serum 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47), 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-99), 2,2',4,4',6-pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-100), 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-153), and their sum and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (PBB-153) were used. Regression models were fitted with logs of PBDE and PBB as dependent variables and age, age(2), gender, body mass index (BMI), race/ethnicity, smoking status, fish/shellfish consumption status during the last 30 d, and CC as independent variables. For lipid-adjusted models, age was negatively associated while age(2) was positively associated with almost all PBDE models. The reverse was the case for PBB-153. Body mass index was found to be negatively associated with PBDE-153 and PBB-153. Levels of all whole weight PBDE increased with levels of total lipid. Smoking was not markedly associated with concentrations of either PBDE or PBB. Males displayed significantly higher levels of PBDE-153 and ΣPBDE. For the whole weight PBDE congeners 47, 99, and 100 and PBB-153, non-Hispanic black (NHB) males showed significantly higher levels than NHB females.