title: Brominated dibenzo-p-dioxins: a new class of marine toxins?
abstract: Levels of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs) were measured in marine fish, mussels, and shellfish. PBDDs were nondetectable in samples from freshwater environments, and their levels were successively higher in samples from the marine environments of the Bothnian Bay and Bothnian Sea, the West Coast of Sweden, and the Baltic Proper. In Baltic Proper littoral fish the levels of PBDDs generally exceeded those of their chlorinated analogues (PCDDs). This is alarming as some Baltic fish species already are contaminated by chlorinated dioxins to such an extent that they cannot be sold on the European market. By comparing spatial trends in PBDD and PCDD distributions, and PBDD patterns in fish, mussels, and algae, we show that the PBDDs are probably produced naturally, and we propose a route for their biosynthesis. We further show that the levels of PBDDs are high (ng/g wet weight) in mussels, and that the levels increase over time. Finally, we discuss the possibility that the PBDDs have adverse biological effects, and that the levels are increasing as a result of global warming and eutrophication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden. peter.haglund@chem.umu.se
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haglund
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malmvärn
authors.forename: Sture
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergek
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bignert
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kautsky
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiberg
authors.forename: Lillemor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asplund
mesh_terms: D000811:Anguilla; D000818:Animals; D003445:Crustacea; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D049880:Mytilus edulis; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D013548:Sweden; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical