Contribution of Synthetic and Naturally Occurring Organobromine Compounds to Bromine Mass in Marine Organisms

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 44; no. 16; pp. 6068 - 6073
• Main Authors: Wan, Yi, Jones, Paul D, Wiseman, Steve, Chang, Hong, Chorney, Dave, Kannan, Kurunthachalam, Zhang, Kun, Hu, Jian-Ying, Khim, Jong Seong, Tanabe, Shinsuke, Lam, Michael H. W, Giesy, John P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 15.08.2010
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Birds - metabolism; Bromates; Bromine - analysis; Characterization of Natural and Affected Environments; Chemical compounds; Chemical Fractionation; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrocarbons, Brominated - analysis; Liver - metabolism; Marine and brackish environment; Marine ecology; Neutrons; PCB; Pollutants; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Seawater; Thermodynamics; Tuna - metabolism; Ursidae - metabolism; Marine environment; Pollutant; Tissue; Organobrominated compounds; Fauna; Concentration; Measurement method
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es100914r

An extraction, separation, and purification method was developed for the identification and quantification of total bromine (TBr), extractable organobromine (EOBr), and five classes of identified EOBrs. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was utilized to quantify EOBr and TBr. The method was then applied to liver samples of tuna, albatross, and polar bear collected from remote marine locations. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), bromophenols (BRPs), hydroxylated (OH-) and methoxylated (MeO-) PBDEs were analyzed as identified EOBr. The majority of the bromine in these marine organisms was nonextractable or inorganic, with EOBr accounting for 10−28% of the TBr. Of the identified EOBr, in tuna and albatross, naturally occurring compounds, including MeO-PBDEs, OH-PBDEs, and BPRs, were prevalent. However, the identifiable EOBr in polar bears consisted primarily of synthetic compounds, including PBDEs and PBBs. Overall, 0.08−0.11% and 0.008−0.012% of EOBr and TBr, respectively, were identified. The proportion of EOBr that was identified in marine organisms was relatively small compared to the proportions for organofluorine and organochlorine compounds. This could be related to the great diversity of naturally occurring organobromine compounds in the environment. Naturally occurring brominated fatty acids were estimated to be the predominant compounds in the EOBr fraction.