Concentrations and congener profiles of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in blood plasma from Hong Kong: Implications for sources and exposure route

•Concentrations of ∑PBDEs ranged from 0.56 to 92ngg−1, lipid weight.•Fish consumption was more important than dust for Hong Kong people exposure to PBDE.•There is a spatial distribution and terrestrial source of BDE-28 for Hong Kong people.•There was no significant correlation among PBDE congeners and MeO-BDEs, OH-BDEs or BRPs. There was limited information about bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in humans of the general population of Hong Kong. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine concentrations and congener profiles of PBDEs in blood plasma from Hong Kong, evaluate their sources and correlations with other organobrominated compounds, and investigate exposure routes from fish and dust. Concentrations of ∑PBDE22 ranged from 0.56 to 92ngg−1, lipid weight (lw), with a median of 5.4ngg−1. BDE-47 was the dominant congener, accounting for 26% of ∑PBDE22. Concentrations of PBDE congeners in market fish were significantly (r2=0.89, p