Trophodynamics of hexabromocyclododecanes and several other non-PBDE brominated flame retardants in a freshwater food web.
Several currently used non-polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), hexabromobenzene (HBB), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), and pentabromotoluene (PBT), are examined in the components of a freshwater food web from an electronic waste recycling site, South China. All these BFRs are detectable in the food web, with average concentrations of 13.9-868, 1.71-518, < 3.8-338, 197-3099, 3.98-25.6, and 1.20-3.60 ng/g lipid wt for HBCDs, BTBPE, DBDPE, HBB, PBEB, and PBT, respectively. Food web magnification is observed for (+)-alpha-, (-)-alpha-, (+/-)-alpha-, and total HBCDs, and HBB, with trophic magnification factors (TMFs) of 2.22, 2.18, 2.19, 1.82, and 1.46, respectively; whereas there is trophic dilution of BTBPE and PBT through the food web. The TMFs for (+)-alpha-, (-)-alpha-, and (+/-)-alpha-HBCDs are comparable to those of PBDEs detected previously in the same food web. Biota samples show a shift from gamma- toward alpha-HBCD compared with the suspended particles, sediment, and HBCD technical mixtures, with a significant increase of alpha-HBCD on ascending trophic levels. Except for alpha-HBCD in suspended particles and sediment, all the HBCD enantiomers detected are nonracemic in the environmental matrix. In biota, nonracemic residues of alpha-HBCD were observed in mud carp and crucian carp; beta-HBCD in prawn, mud carp, and crucian carp; and gamma-HBCD in water snake, with preferences for (+)-alpha-, (-)-beta-, and (+)-gamma-HBCDs.
Wu
Jiang-Ping
JP
Research Center for Environmental Engineering & Management, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Guan
Yun-Tao
YT
Zhang
Ying
Y
Luo
Xiao-Jun
XJ
Zhi
Hui
H
Chen
She-Jun
SJ
Mai
Bi-Xian
BX
D000818:Animals; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D020387:Food Chain; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry
D005411:Flame Retardants; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C089796:hexabromocyclododecane