title: Polybrominated diphenyl ether accumulation in an agricultural soil ecosystem receiving wastewater sludge amendments.
abstract: Few studies have addressed bioaccumulation of organic pollutants associated with land-application of biosolids. We thus examined PBDE burdens within a soil ecosystem receiving long-term sludge amendments and a reference soil ecosystem receiving only manure inputs. No PBDEs were detected in reference site samples, but sludge-amended soils contained 17 600 ± 2330 μg/kg ∑3-7PBDE (total organic carbon (TOC) basis). ∑3-7PBDE burdens were highest in soil invertebrates with the greatest contact with sludge-amended soil (e.g., ∑3-7PBDE of 10 300 ± 2670 and 3000 ± 200 μg/kg lipid for earthworms and detritivorous woodlice, respectively). PBDEs were below quantitation limits in vegetation from the sludge-amended site. Surprisingly, we measured quantifiable PBDE burdens in only a single sample of predaceous ground spiders from the sludge-amended site. BDE-209 burdens in sludge-amended soil and earthworms were 7500 ± 2800 μg/kg TOC and 6500 ± 4100 μg/kg lipid, respectively. BDE 209 was detected in fewer taxa, but the burden in a detritivorous millipede composite was high (86 000 μg/kg lipid). PBDE congener patterns differed among species, with worms and ground beetles exhibiting Penta-BDE-like patterns. Penta-BDE biota-soil accumulation factors (BSAFs) ranged from 0.006 to 1.2, while BDE-209 BSAFs ranged from 0.07 to 10.5. δ(13)C and δ(15)N isotope signatures were poorly correlated with PBDE burdens, but sludge-amended samples were significantly δ(15)N enriched.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Aquatic Animal Health, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary , P.O. Box 1346, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, United States.
authors.forename: Michael O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Gaylor
authors.forename: Greg L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Mears
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: La Guardia
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hale
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000737:chemistry; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000737:chemistry; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D062065:Wastewater