Brominated Organohalogens and Neurodevelopment: Different Mechanisms, Same Consequence

Abstract

Brominated organohalogens including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and polybrominated biphenyl mixture (BP-6) are ubiquitous industrial chemicals used extensively as flame retardants in a wide range of consumer and household items including furnitures and electronics. Their ability to persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife is currently of great health concern. These brominated organohalogens have been implicated in developmental neurotoxicity in numerous in vitro and in vivo models, acting through multiple mechanisms. In this chapter, we will examine different pathways and mechanisms of brominated organohalogen actions and their consequences for neurodevelopment. Although many mechanisms and pathways have been postulated for brominated organohalogen actions, they all converge at same consequences of impaired brain development.