Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environment: a wake-up call for concerted action in India

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) used as flame retardants in the products utilized in day-to-day life. Their bioaccumulation, low volatility, and high persistence in the environment have led to their global spread even to remote and distant regions. The present study identifies gaps in the investigation of the neurotoxic potential of PBDEs, their effects on brain development, toxicokinetic, and their potential as a carcinogen. In India, to date, only human breast milk was assessed for levels of PBDEs, and it is suggested that other human tissues can also be explored. No data on the reproductive toxicity of PBDEs are reported from Indian cohorts. Long-range transport and deposition of PBDEs in colder regions necessitates monitoring of Himalayan regions in India. An inventory of PBDEs is required to be made for addressing the worrisome situation of the unregulated import of E-waste from the developed countries in India. The study also emphasizes providing guidelines for the articulation of policies regarding sound surveillance and management of PBDE production, consumption, and release in the Indian context. It is recommended that a separate cell for monitoring and follow-up of PBDEs should be established in India. Also, the development of better alternatives and environment-friendly remediation technologies for PBDEs is the need of the hour.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Director, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur (India), for providing the facilities.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

SP conceptualized the idea of the review, performed literature search, data analysis, and data curation, and prepared the original draft of the manuscript. AM helped in the drafting of the manuscript. SB helped in the drafting of the manuscript. MSK supervised the team and reviewed the manuscript. SK supervised the team and reviewed the manuscript. VKM helped in the conceptualization of the idea.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sunil Kumar.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable

Consent for publication

Not applicable

Competing interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Roland Peter Kallenborn

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Paliya, S., Mandpe, A., Bombaywala, S. et al. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environment: a wake-up call for concerted action in India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 44693–44715 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15204-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15204-7

Keywords

Navigation