Tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecanes in sediments from fishing ports along the coast of South China: Occurrence, distribution and ecological risk

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 302; p. 134872
• Main Authors: Pan, Yun-Feng, Liu, Shan, Tian, Fei, Chen, Hai-Gang, Xu, Xiang-Rong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Ecological risk assessment; Fishing ports; Hexabromocyclododecanes; Sediment; Tetrabromobisphenol A; Sediment; Hexabromocyclododecanes; Fishing ports; Tetrabromobisphenol A; Ecological risk assessment
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134872

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) have attracted extensive attention due to their strong persistence and toxicity. However, little has been known about their pollution status in fishing ports, which are typical sinks of land-sourced pollutants. In this study, we investigated the occurrence, distribution and ecological risk of TBBPA and HBCDDs in sediments from fishing ports along the coast of South China. The concentrations of TBBPA and ΣHBCDD (sum of α-, β-, and γ-HBCDD) in the fishing-port sediments were in the ranges of 0.02–21.5 ng/g dw and 1.06–14.1 ng/g dw, respectively. γ-HBCDD was the predominant diastereoisomer in most fishing-port sediments. The enantiomeric analysis indicated a preferential enrichment of (−)-enantiomers for α-, β-, and γ-HBCDD. The geographical location of fishing ports is a significant determinant of distribution for TBBPA and HBBCDs. The concentrations of TBBPA and HBCDDs in fishing-port sediments were strongly associated with local population density, but weakly correlated with total organic carbon content of the sediment. The mass inventories of TBBPA and ΣHBCDD were estimated to be 77.0 ng/cm2 and 141 ng/cm2, respectively. The ecological risk assessment demonstrated that TBBPA and HBCDDs in fishing-port sediments exhibited low risks to marine organisms. This study contributes to the understanding pollution situation of fishing ports, and provides a reference for environmental safety assessment and environmental pollution control. [Display omitted] •Geographical location of fishing ports determined distribution of TBBPA and HBBCDs.•Concentrations of TBBPA and HBCDDs were strongly correlated with population density.•Mass inventories of TBBPA and ΣHBCDD were 77.0 ng/cm2 and 141 ng/cm2, respectively.•TBBPA and HBCDDs in fishing-port sediments posed low risks to marine organisms.