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Background: Firemaster® 550 (FM550) is commonly added to residential furniture to reduce its flammability. Recent toxicological evidence suggests that FM550 may be endocrine disrupting and obesogenic.

Objectives: Our objectives were to develop methods to assess exposure to FM550 in human populations and to identify potential routes of exposure.

Methods: Using mass spectrometry methods, we developed a method to measure 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA), a urinary metabolite of the major brominated FM550 component 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB). The method was applied to a cohort of adult volunteers (n = 64). Participants completed questionnaires, provided urine and handwipe samples, and collected dust samples from their homes. We measured TBB and the other major brominated FM550 component, bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), in paired dust …