Hexabromocyclododecane diastereomers in fish and suspended particulate matter from selected European waters—trend monitoring and environmental quality standard compliance

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 24; no. 22; pp. 18048 - 18062
• Main Authors: Rüdel, Heinz, Müller, Josef, Nowak, Jens, Ricking, Mathias, Klein, Roland, Kotthoff, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bromination; Cyprinidae - metabolism; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental quality; Environmental science; Europe; Fish; Flame retardants; Flame Retardants - analysis; Flame Retardants - metabolism; Hydrocarbons, Brominated - analysis; Hydrocarbons, Brominated - metabolism; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - analysis; Research Article; Rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Stereoisomerism; Suspended particulate matter; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollution Control; Compliance monitoring; Sole; Trend monitoring; Suspended particulate matter; Bream; Fish; HBCD; Environmental monitoring
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9469-4

The brominated flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) was monitored in fish and sediment (from one lake) or suspended particulate matter (SPM; from five rivers) at European freshwater sites to study the effects of reduction measures implemented by HBCD producers and users in recent years. Bream ( Abramis brama ) were sampled annually between 2007 and 2013 in the rivers Götaälv/SE, Rhône/FR, Western Scheldt/NL, Mersey/UK, and Tees/UK and in Lake Belau/DE. Sediment/SPM was taken every second year between 2008 and 2014. HBCD was analyzed by LC/MS/MS allowing the determination of the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-diastereomers. For most sites, a decrease in ∑HBCD was observed in fish (e.g., in the Rhône and Western Scheldt by about 80 and 60%, respectively, with significantly decreasing trends, p  < 0.01). In the Rhône, HBCD also decreased in SPM. At the sampling site in the Tees which was impacted by a former HBCD point source, fish HBCD levels decreased only after a major flood event in 2013. While fish data indicate a decline in environmental HBCD concentrations at most sites with diffuse emissions, SPM data were less conclusive. The European environmental quality standard for HBCD in fish of 167 μg kg −1 wet weight was met by all fish samples in 2013.