Bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in harbor seals from the northwest Atlantic

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 73; no. 11; pp. 1773 - 1780
• Main Authors: Shaw, Susan D., Brenner, Diane, Berger, Michelle L., Fang, Fu, Hong, Chia-Swee, Addink, Rudolf, Hilker, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Atlantic Ocean; BFRs; Biological and medical sciences; Brominated flame retardants; Debromination; Deca-BDE (BDE-209); Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollutants - chemistry; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - chemistry; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - metabolism; Harbor seal; Male; Mammalia; Marine; PBDEs; Phoca - metabolism; Phoca vitulina concolor; Time Factors; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Atlantic Ocean; Northwest Atlantic; ANW, Atlantic; Debromination; Deca-BDE (BDE-209); BFRs; Brominated flame retardants; PBDEs; Harbor seal; Carnivora; Dehalogenation; Flame retardant; Volatile organic compound; Low volatile compound; Pinnipedia; Persistent organic pollutant; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Bromine Organic compounds; Biological accumulation; Phoca vitulina; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.09.016

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analyzed in blubber of harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina concolor) collected between 1991 and 2005 along the northwest Atlantic. ∑PBDE concentrations (mono- to hexa-BDEs) detected in blubber samples ( n = 42) ranged from 80 to 25 720 ng g −1 lw, (overall mean 2403 ± 5406 ng g −1 lw). By age, mean ∑PBDE concentrations were: 3645 ± 7388, 2945 ± 5995, 1385 ± 1265, and 326 ± 193 ng g −1 lw in pups, yearlings, adult males, and adult females, respectively. Unlike the trend for PCBs, no decreasing gradient from urban to rural/remote areas was observed for PBDEs in these samples, likely reflecting inputs from local sources. No significant temporal trend was observed for PBDEs in harbor seals between 1991 and 2005, although congener profiles shifted over time. Tetra-BDE-47 was the dominant congener, followed by BDEs-99, -100, -153, -154, and -155 in varying order, suggesting exposure to the penta-BDE product. In adult males, the hexa-BDEs contributed more to the total (22%) than BDEs-99 and -100 (14%), and concentrations of BDE-155 were elevated compared with -154. Higher BDEs were detected in a subset of seals ( n = 12) including hepta-BDE-183, the marker for the octa-BDE mixture, and octa-BDE-197, along with several unidentified hepta- and octa- congeners. BDE-209 was detected in seal blubber at concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 8 ng g −1 lw, indicating that deca-BDE is bioavailable in this marine food web. This is the first study to document the accumulation of BDE-209 at measurable levels in wild harbor seals. While the PBDE patterns in blubber indicate exposure to all three BDE commercial mixtures, the data also suggest that BDE-209 debromination by seal prey fish may contribute to the loading of lower brominated congeners (hexa- to octa-BDEs) in these seals.