Background: Young children are exposed to a mixture of flame retardants. Silicone wristbands can be used as passive sampling tools for measuring personal environmental exposure to organic compounds. There is also concern that some flame retardants negatively impact neurocognitive development. Methods: We recruited a cohort of 92 preschool aged children (3-5 years) in the state of Oregon to wear a silicone wristband passive sampling device for one week. The wristbands were analyzed on an analytical method that could detect 41 different flame retardant compounds including brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs). Children's social behaviors were rated by their preschool teachers using the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale. Covariates were measured through a family survey and included child age, gender, family context (parent education, employment, income, and home learning environment), and adverse experience (e.g. lived with family member with substance abuse or mental illness, experienced violence or trauma, neglect, or witnessed domestic violence). Results: Seventy-seven caregivers returned the wristbands for analysis of 35 PBDEs, 4 OPFRs, and 2 other brominated flame retardants. A total of 20 compounds were detected above the limit of quantisation during.the 7 day exposure assessment period. Multiple regression analyses (controlling for child age, gender, family context, and adverse experience) indicated that total polybrominated diphenyl ether exposure was linked to children's poorer assertion skills on the teacher-rated scale. Total organophosphate flame retardant exposure was linked to children's lower responsibility and higher externalizing behaviors based on teacher ratings. Conclusions: This descriptive cross sectional study showed that the vast majority of preschool children tolerated the silicone wristband sampler and that they were exposed to a mixture of volatilized PBDEs and OPFRs. A dose-response relationship was observed between total exposure to flame retardants and poorer social skills (e.g., lower assertion, responsibility and higher externalizing behaviors) observed in preschool. Further studies are warranted that would identify sources of exposure and further explore a potential causal relationship between flame retardant mixtures and social behaviors in children.
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