Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their methoxylated metabolites in anchovy (Coilia sp.) from the Yangtze River Delta, China.
OBJECTIVE
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their metabolites are toxic to animals, and concentrations of the PBDEs metabolites can exceed those of the parent materials. But no information was available on concentrations of PBDEs metabolites in the lower Yangtze River in the region around Jiangsu Province of China, which is heavily urbanized and industrialized area. The aims of this study were to determine whether PBDEs and their methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs) were accumulated in Coilia sp. in this area and to investigate the potential sources for these two kinds of brominated organic pollutants.


METHODS
Samples of four species of anchovy were collected from eight sites in the lower Yangtze River, Taihu Lake, and Hongzehu Lake. Concentrations of 13 PBDEs congeners and eight methoxylated PBDEs were determined by use of organic solvent extraction, followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequencies of detection for PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs were 92% and 53%, respectively. Concentrations of summation operatorPBDEs ranged from not detected (ND) to 77 ng/g lipids (ND-3.8 ng/g wet weight). Concentrations of summation operatorMeO-PBDEs in anchovy ranged from ND to 48 ng/g lipids (ND-8.2 ng/g wet weight). The PBDE concentrations in anchovy from the Yangtze River Delta were similar to or less than those reported for other species from other locations around the world, while the concentrations of MeO-PBDEs were comparable to or slightly less than those reported in other studies. This is the first report of MeO-PBDEs in biota of China.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study as well as those of other studies suggest that PBDEs in anchovy are primarily of synthetic origin and released by human activities, while MeO-PBDEs in anchovy are primarily from nature as natural products from the sea instead of metabolism of PBDEs in anchovy.
Su
Guan-yong
GY
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
Gao
Zi-shen
ZS
Yu
Yijun
Y
Ge
Jia-chun
JC
Wei
Si
S
Feng
Jian-fang
JF
Liu
Feng-yan
FY
Giesy
John P
JP
Lam
Michael H W
MH
Yu
Hong-xia
HX
D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical