Liver volatolomics to reveal poultry exposure to γ-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2017-12, Vol.189, p.634-642
• Main Authors: Ratel, Jérémy, Planche, Christelle, Mercier, Frédéric, Blinet, Patrick, Kondjoyan, Nathalie, Marchand, Philippe, Fournier, Agnès, Travel, Angélique, Jondreville, Catherine, Engel, Erwan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal-derived food; Animals; Chickens - metabolism; Chromatography, Liquid; Diet; Egg Yolk - chemistry; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Female; Flame Retardants - analysis; Food safety; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hydrocarbons, Brominated - metabolism; Hydrocarbons, Brominated - toxicity; Liver; Liver - metabolism; Poultry - metabolism; SPME-GC-MS; Volatolomics; γ-HBCD
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.09.074

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a critical emerging brominated flame retardant to which consumers can be exposed at high doses through a single food intake. Based on an animal experiment involving 3 groups of laying hens fed during 70 days with a control diet or γ-HBCD-contaminated diets at 0.1 or 10 μg γ-HBCD g−1 feed, this study aims to use the volatolome of biological samples for revealing markers of livestock exposure to HBCD. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to monitor the time-course of HBCD levels in bodily samples. Each liver was analyzed by solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for volatolome profiling. After 70 days, γ-HBCD concentrations in egg yolk, fat, liver and serum reached 54 ± 4, 85 ± 6, 31 ± 6, and 32 ± 4 ng g−1 lw, respectively, for the low exposure level and 4.6+/5.7, 7.8+/6.5, 3.9+/3.0 and 3.9+/6.1 μg g−1 lw, respectively, for the high exposure level. Isomerization of γ-HBCD into α- and β-HBCD was observed in all tissues, at least for the high exposure level. Volatolome data allowed a significant discrimination between control and exposed animals whatever the feed contamination load, demonstrating a liver metabolic response to γ-HBCD exposure. The relevance of the twenty nine volatile exposure markers tentatively identified was discussed in light of literature data. [Display omitted] •Poultry liver volatolome is modified by the dietary exposure of animals to γ-HBCD.•Volatile candidate markers in liver enable to reveal livestock exposure to γ-HBCD.•Candidate markers are mainly hydrocarbons or oxygenated compounds.•Liver volatolomics is a promising approach to strengthen food contamination control.