Simultaneous Method for Selected PBDEs and HBCDDs in Foodstuffs Using Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Flame retardants are added to consumer products to retard the ignition of combustible materials. Technical mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) were massively used for several decades. They are bioaccumulative, persistent, and have adverse effects on organisms.

Organohalogens: A persisting burden in Slovenia?

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) represent a concern for the environment and human health due to their persistence and toxicity. Exposure in Slovenia is geographically differentiated because the country, as part of former Yugoslavia, has a history of industry and regional contamination and is - at the same time - known for its clean nature. The PCB pollution of the Krupa River drew the public's attention to the chemical burden of Slovenians, and the demand for studies has been rising since.