title: Occurrence of halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants in sediment and fish samples from three European river basins.
abstract: Classic (polybromodiphenyl ethers, PBDEs) and emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) such as decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and halogenated norbornenes, as well as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were analysed in 52 sediments and 27 fish samples from three European river basins, namely the Evrotas (Greece), the Adige (Italy) and the Sava (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia). This is the first time that FR levels have been reported in these three European river basins. The highest contamination was found in the Adige and Sava rivers, whereas lower values were obtained for the Evrotas. The levels in sediment samples ranged between 0.25 and 34.0ng/g dw, and between 0.31 and 549ng/g dw, for HFRs and OPFRs respectively. As regards levels in fish, concentrations ranged between 9.32 and 461ng/g lw and between 14.4 and 650ng/g lw, for HFRs and OPFRs, respectively. Thus, whereas OPFR values were higher in sediments, similar concentrations (in the Evrotas) and even lower concentrations than HFRs (Sava) were found for OPFRs in the fish samples, indicating the lower bioaccumulation potential of OPFRs. Biota to sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) were calculated and higher values were obtained for HFRs compared to those assessed for OPFRs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29100 Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giulivo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29100 Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capri
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7km Athinon - Souniou Av., 190 13, P.O. Box 712, Anavissos, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalogianni
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Radmila
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milacic
authors.affiliation: University of Trento, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Majone
authors.affiliation: Aeiforia Srl, 29027 Gariga di Podenzano (PC), Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Dep. of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: eeeqam@cid.csic.es.
authors.forename: Ethel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eljarrat
authors.affiliation: Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Dep. of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H(2)O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Damià
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barceló
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina; D017523:Croatia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D006115:Greece; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D007558:Italy; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D055771:Serbia; D017524:Slovenia; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D010755:Organophosphates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: BSAFs; Fish; HFRs; OPFRs; River basin; Sediment