title: Brominated flame retardants in North-East Atlantic marine ecosystems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concentrations of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are reported to increase in marine ecosystems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Characterize exposure to BFRs in animals from different trophic levels in North-East Atlantic coastal marine ecosystems along a latitudinal gradient from southern Norway to Spitsbergen, Svalbard, in the Arctic. Calanoid species were collected from the Oslofjord (59 degrees N), Froan (64 degrees N), and Spitsbergen (> 78 degrees N); Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from the Oslofjord and Froan; polar cod (Boreogadus saida) from Bear Island (74 degrees N) and Spitsbergen; harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) from the Oslofjord, Froan, and Spitsbergen; and ringed seal (Phoca vitulina) from Spitsbergen. Eggs of common tern (Sterna hirundo) were collected from the Oslofjord, and eggs of arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) from Froan and Spitsbergen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) generally decreased as a function of increasing latitude, reflecting distance from release sources. The clear latitudinal decrease in levels of BFRs was not pronounced in the two tern species, most likely because they are exposed during migration. The decabrominated compound BDE-209 was detected in animals from all three ecosystems, and the highest levels were found in arctic tern eggs from Spitsbergen. HBCD was found in animals from all trophic levels, except for in calanoids at Froan and Spitsbergen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though the levels of PBDEs and HBCD are generally low in North-East Atlantic coastal marine ecosystems, there are concerns about the relatively high presence of BDE-209 and HBCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. Bjorn.Munro.Jenssen@bio.ntnu.no
authors.forename: Bjørn Munro
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Jenssen
authors.forename: Eugen G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Sørmo
authors.forename: Kine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bytingsvik
authors.forename: Hege
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gaustad
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruus
authors.forename: Janneche Utne
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Skaare
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism; D033342:Copepoda / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D020387:Food Chain; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000032:analysis*; D010647:Phenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D046049:Phoca / Q000378:metabolism; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C089796:hexabromocyclododecane; C010902:decabromobiphenyl ether