Partitioning and bioaccumulation of PCBs and PBDEs in marine plankton from the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

• Published in: Progress in oceanography Vol. 115; pp. 65 - 75
• Main Authors: Frouin, Heloise, Dangerfield, Neil, Macdonald, Robie W, Galbraith, M, Crewe, Norman, Shaw, Patrick, Mackas, David, Ross, Peter S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2013
• Subjects: bioaccumulation factor; bioavailability; biomass; coasts; estuaries; food webs; Orcinus orca; physicochemical properties; plankton; pollution; polybrominated diphenyl ethers; polychlorinated biphenyls; principal component analysis; British Columbia
• ISSN: 0079-6611; 1873-4472
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pocean.2013.05.023

The Strait of Georgia is a large, deep, fjord-like estuary on the southern coast of British Columbia which is subject to local and atmospheric inputs of persistent environmental contaminants. We measured 204 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 61 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) seasonally in water (two depths; dissolved and particle-bound) and plankton (vertical tow) samples collected at two stations. Principal components analysis clearly distinguished the dissolved and particulate water fractions and plankton samples, with the latter two compartments associated more with heavier congeners. Bioaccumulation factors (logBAFs) for PCBs and PBDEs in plankton were best described by parabolic relationships against octanol–water partitioning coefficients (logKₒw), peaking at a logKₒw of 5–7, underscoring the important role of physico-chemical properties in driving the uptake of these persistent contaminants by plankton from water. The estimated total quantity of PCBs (annual average of 0.61±SEM 0.12kg) and PBDEs (annual average of 0.64±0.19kg) in Strait of Georgia plankton biomass were remarkably similar, highlighting the emergence of currently-used PBDEs as a priority concern. The estimated total of 52.1±8.41kg of PCBs in water (dissolved+particle-bound) was higher than the estimated 26.8±5.20kg of PBDEs (dissolved+particle-bound), reflecting the dichotomous use histories for these two contaminant classes. Results provide insight into the biological availability of PCBs and PBDEs to the Strait of Georgia food web, and describe an important initial partitioning process by which the region’s endangered killer whales have become highly contaminated.