Keywords: 
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers /
• locomotion activity /
• predation activity /
• cognitive behavior /
• neurobehavioral toxicity /
• mechanisms

Abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), have been recognized as ubiquitous environmental pollutants existing in a wide variety of environmental matrixes, biota and even human. One of the main pollution sources of PBDEs in China is coming from E-waste recycling sites located in southeast region. Due to the high stability and lipophilicity, PBDEs could be highly accumulated in biota, and therefore E-waste recycling activities has posed potential ecological and health risk to the local environment and residents. The developmental neurotoxicity of PBDEs has received great concern. However, the potential neurobehavioral toxicity and the underlying mechanisms are still barely known. Behavioral assay reflects the direct responses of neurotoxicity, which can even serve as a powerful tool to assess the potential toxicity at population and community level. In recent years, a commercial available video-tracking technique for behavior analysis is undergoing rapid development, which can strongly benefit the quantification of animal behavior in environmental toxicological studies. In the present review, we tried to summarize the worldwide research progress on environmental toxicology in recent decades, especially focusing on the neurobehavioral toxicity of PBDEs, including locomotion activity, predation activity and cognitive behavior. We further tried to explore the underlying mechanisms of those observed toxicity, and summarize the current knowledge gaps and the key issues in future toxicological studies.