Polybrominated biphenyl ethers in marine fish, shellfish and river and marine sediments in Japan

The presence of polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBBEs), commonly used as flame retardants, was confirmed in marine fish, shellfish and river and marine sediments in Japan. These compounds were detected in seven out of 17 marine fish and shellfish, though at low levels. Tetrabrominated biphenyl ether was a major component in marine organisms. However, sediment pollution by PBBEs, particularly that by decabrominated biphenyl ether, pose a serious problem in the rivers of Osaka but not in marine areas.     

Total mercury intake from fish and shellfish by Japanese people

Elevated mercury concentrations have been reported in fish in recent years. Japanese people eat a great deal of raw fishes and shellfishes as “Sashimi” and “Sushi”. The action level of large predatory fish such as tuna with total mercury levels exceeding the Japanese maximum permitted limit of 0.4 ppm is exempted from regulation in Japan. Therefore, current total mercury intake from fish and shellfish of Japanese people is unknown. The purpose of this investigation was to estimate the total mercury intake from fish and shellfish. It was found that the mean total mercury concentration of 1.11 ppm in tuna of eatable base as Sashimi or Sushi was clearly higher than the normal level. The mean total mercury intake from fish and shellfish was 0.17mg per capita per week . According to the hypothesis that 75% of total mercury in fish and shellfish is methylmercury, the weekly intake of 0.13 mg as methylmercury was corresponding amount to about 74% of provisional tolerable weekly intake 0.17 mg of methylmercury set by the Welfare Ministry of Japan.     

Arsenic speciation in plants growing in arsenic-contaminated sites

Concentrations of total arsenic and of arsenic species were determined by ICPMS and HPLC-ICPMS in terrestrial plant samples. The arsenic concentration in plant samples from the contaminated sites ranged from 1.14 to 98.5 mg kg(-1) (dry mass). However, a very high value, exceeding largely this range was found in a moss sample growing in the contaminated area (1750 mg kg(-1)). Plants growing in a non-contaminated area with similar geological characteristics contained 0.06-0.58 mg As kg(-1). Plant samples from different species were selected and extracted with water, water/methanol (9+1, v/v), and water/methanol (1+1, v/v). Water/methanol (9+1, v/v) was selected as extractant for the speciation analysis for all the plant samples. The extraction efficiencies ranged from 3.0% to 41.4%, with good agreement between samples from the same plant species. Arsenite and/or arsenate were found in all the plant samples. Additionally, methylarsonate (MA), dimethylarsinate (DMA), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) and tetramethylarsonium ion (TETRA) were also identified in several plants, and in some cases MA and DMA were the main species found. TMAO, which is usually found as a trace constituent in organisms, was also a significant arsenical in one of the studied samples, where it constituted 24% of the extracted arsenic. In the present study, the patterns of arsenic species varied with the plant species and much higher proportion of organoarsenicals was found in plants from the more contaminated sites.     

Arsenic speciation in field-collected and laboratory-exposed earthworms Lumbricus terrestris

Mature Lumbricus terrestris were host soils and leaf litter were collected from a former arsenic mine in Devon, UK (Devon Great Consols), a former gold mine in Ontario, Canada (Deloro), and an uncontaminated residential garden in Nottingham, UK. Arsenic concentrations determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in soils were 16-348 mg kg⁻¹, 6.0-239 mg kg⁻¹ in the earthworms and 8.6 mg kg⁻¹ in leaf litter sampled at Deloro (all dry weight). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-ICP-MS) analysis revealed arsenite (As^III), arsenate (As^V) and five organoarsenic species; arsenobetaine (AB), methylarsonate (MA^V), dimethylarsinate (DMA^V), arsenosugar 1 (glycerol sugar), arsenosugar 2 (phosphate sugar), and trimethylarsineoxide (TMAO) in field-collected L. terrestris. Differences were observed in the variety of organoarsenic species present between field sites. Several organoarsenic species were observed in the leaf litter (DMA^V, arsenosugar 2 and TMAO) but not AB. Depuration resulted in higher concentrations of inorganic As being detected in the earthworm whereas the concentration or variety of organoarsenic species was unchanged. Commercially sourced L. terrestris were exposed to As contaminated soil in laboratory mesocosms (1.0, 98, 183, 236, 324 and 436 mg kg⁻¹) without leaf litter and were additionally analyzed using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). Only inorganic As^III and As^V was observed. It is proposed that ingestion of leaf litter and symbiotic processes in the natural soil environment are likely sources of organoarsenic compounds in field-collected L. terrestris.     

Arsenic and chromium speciation in an urban contaminated soil

The distribution and speciation of As and Cr in a contaminated soil were studied by synchrotron-based X-ray microfluorescence (μ-XRF), microfocused X-ray absorption spectroscopy (μ-XAS), and bulk extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS). The soil was taken from a park in Wilmington, DE, which had been an important center for the leather tanning industry along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States, until the early 20th century. Soil concentrations of As, Cr, and Pb measured at certain locations in the park greatly exceeded the background levels of these heavy metals in the State of Delaware. Results show that Cr(III) and As(V) species are mainly present in the soil, with insignificant amounts of Cr(VI) and As(III). Micro-XRF maps show that Cr and Fe are distributed together in regions where their concentrations are diffuse, and at local spots where their concentrations are high. Iron oxides, which can reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III), are present at some of these hot spots where Cr and Fe are highly concentrated. Arsenic is mainly associated with Al in the soil, and to a minor extent with Fe. Arsenate may be sorbed to aluminum oxides, which might have transformed after a long period of time into an As-Al precipitate phase, having a structure and chemical composition similar to mansfieldite (AlAsO(4)?2H(2)O). The latter hypothesis is supported by the fact that only a small amount of As present in the soil was desorbed using the characteristic toxicity leaching procedure tests. This suggests that As is immobilized in the soil.     

PCBs and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in edible fish and shellfish from China

A wide variety of fish and shellfish were collected from local supermarkets of Dalian, Tianjin and Shanghai in China and analyzed for the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs, including trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor and cis-nonachlor) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDTs, including o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDT). Concentrations of PCBs in samples collected from Dalian, Tianjin and Shanghai ranged from 1.11 to 8.04 ng/g, 1.26 to 5.60 ng/g and 0.83 to 11.4 ng/g on wet weight basis, respectively. The concentrations were lower compared to those in developed countries such as Japan and Italy. Average concentrations of HCB, HCHs, CHLs and DDTs were 0.38, 0.92, 0.47 and 28.9 ng/g on wet weight basis, respectively. The daily intake of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides ingested by people living in these cities in China through fish and shellfish was estimated and compared with those observed in other areas.     

Arsenic speciation in arsenic-rich Brazilian soils from gold mining sites under anaerobic incubation

BACKGROUND: Arsenic speciation in environmental samples is essential for studying toxicity, mobility and bio-transformation of As in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Although the inorganic species As(III) and As(V) have been considered dominant in soils and sediments, organisms are able to metabolize inorganic forms of arsenic into organo-arsenic compounds. Arsenosugars and methylated As compounds can be found in terrestrial organisms, but they generally occur only as minor constituents. We investigated the dynamics of arsenic species under anaerobic conditions in soils surrounding gold mining areas from Minas Gerais State, Brazil to elucidate the arsenic biogeochemical cycle and water contamination mechanisms. METHODS: Surface soil samples were collected at those sites, namely Paracatu Formation, Banded Iron Formation and Riacho dos Machados Sequence, and incubated in CaCl2 2.5 mmol L(-1) suspensions under anaerobic conditions for 1, 28, 56 and 112 days. After that, suspensions were centrifuged and supernatants analyzed for soluble As species by IC-ICPMS and HPLC-ICPMS. RESULTS: Easily exchangeable As was mainly arsenite, except when reducible manganese was present. Arsenate was mainly responsible for the increase in soluble arsenic due to the reductive dissolution of either iron or manganese in samples from the Paracatu Formation and Riacho dos Machados Sequence. On the other hand, organic species of As dominated in samples from the Banded Iron Formation during anaerobic incubation. DISCUSSION: Results are contrary to the expectation that, in anaerobic environments, As release due to the reductive dissolution of Fe is followed by As(V) reduction to As(III). The occurrence of organo-arsenic species was also found to be significant to the dynamics of soluble arsenic, mainly in soils from the Banded Iron Formation (BIF), under our experimental conditions. CONCLUSIONS: In general, As(V) and organic As were the dominant species in solution, which is surprising under anaerobic conditions in terrestrial environments. The unexpected occurrence of organic species of As was attributed to enrollment of ternary organic complexes or living organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria. PERSPECTIVES: These findings are believed to be useful for remediation strategies in mine-affected regions, as the organic As species are in general considered to be less toxic than inorganic ones and even As(V) is considered less mobile and toxic than As(III).     

Arsenic leachability and speciation in cement immobilized water treatment sludge

Arsenic leachability and speciation in cement immobilized water treatment sludge were investigated with leaching tests and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The As leachability in the sludge determined with the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and the waste extraction test (WET) was 283 and 7490 microgl(-1), respectively. Extractions with a lower liquid to solid ratio, under anaerobic conditions, and using citric acid buffer solution dramatically increased the leachate As concentration. XANES results showed that the As(III) composition was reduced from 51.1% of the total As content in the sludge to 16.3% in the cement treated sample with 28 days of cure. When the cement treated sample was cured for two years, the As(III) composition was decreased to 7.4%. The cement treatment reduced the As leachability. The leachate As(III) and total As concentrations were of the same order of magnitude in the samples cured for 28 days as for 2yr. However, consistently lower concentrations were detected in samples with longer cure time. The results of this study improve our understanding of arsenic speciation and leachability in the cement matrix after long cure times.     

Arsenic speciation and accumulation in evapoconcentrating waters of agricultural evaporation basins

To sustain agricultural productivity, evaporation basins (or ponds) have been widely used for the disposal of agricultural drainage in areas requiring subsurface drainage in the San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. The drainage water contains elevated concentration of trace elements including selenium (Se) and arsenic (As). Unlike Se, little information is available about As, a potentially high risk element. The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical behavior of As and acquire data for better understanding of biogeochemical processes and conditions affecting As fate in evaporation ponds. The study site was a 726 ha evaporation basin facility (containing 10 cells with water flowing in series) in the hydrologically closed Tulare Basin of California. We examined water chemistry, As concentration and speciation along the water flow path between cells as well as within the cells. Arsenic concentrations in the water increased linearly with Cl(-), a conservative ion from evapoconcentration. Reduced As species as arsenite [As(III)] and organic arsenic (org-As) also increased with increases in Cl(-) and salinity. Water samples with elevated EC (i.e., towards the end of flow path) had high dissolved organic matter, low dissolved oxygen, and elevated sulfide concentrations, indicating the development of reducing conditions. We hypothesize that such changes could facilitate the reduction of arsenate [As(V)] to As(III) and org-As. Elevated As in sediment profiles indicate a solid phase sink mechanism, but not significant enough to remove and reduce As concentrations in the water columns. These findings help us better define the processes that affect As in drainage facilities and contribute to our understanding of how As behaves in other regions of the world that have similar climatic and hydrogeochemical conditions.     

Arsenic accumulation and speciation in the submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum L.

Introduction

Ceratophyllum demersum L. is a widespread submerged macrophyte in aquatic environments.

Methods

Simulation experiments were conducted in the laboratory to investigate arsenic (As) accumulation, speciation, and efflux of C. demersum exposed to arsenate and arsenite solutions.

Results

Plant shoots showed a significant accumulation of As with a maximum of 862 and 963???g?As?g^?1 dry weight after 4?days of exposure to 10???M arsenate and arsenite, respectively. Regardless of whether arsenate or arsenite was supplied to the plants, arsenite was the predominant species in plant shoots. Furthermore, a dramatically higher influx rate of arsenate compared with arsenite was observed in C. demersum exposed to As solutions without the addition of phosphate (P). Arsenate uptake was considerably inhibited by P in this study, suggesting that arsenate is taken up by C. demersum via the phosphate transporters. However, arsenite uptake was unaffected by P and markedly reduced in the presence of glycerol and antimonite (Sb), indicating arsenite shares the aquaporin transport pathway. In addition, C. demersum rapidly reduces arsenate to arsenite in the shoot of the plant and extrudes most of them (>60?%) to the external solutions. The efflux of arsenite was much higher than that of arsenate; the former is supposed to be both active and passive processes, and the latter through passive leakage.

Conclusion

C. demersum is a strong As accumulator and an interesting model plant to study As uptake and metabolism due to the lack of a root-to-shoot translocation barrier.     

Arsenic toxicity and accumulation in radish as affected by arsenic chemical speciation.

Arsenic (As) uptake by Rhapanus sativus L. (radish), cv. Nueva Orleans, growing in soil-less culture conditions was studied in relation to the chemical form and concentration of As. A 4 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted with treatments consisting of four As chemical forms [As(III), As(V), MMAA, DMAA] and three As concentrations (1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mg As L-1). None of the As treatments were clearly phytotoxic to this radish cultivar. Arsenic phytoavailability was primarily determined by the As chemical form present in the nutrient solution and followed the trend DMAA < or = As(V) < or = As(III) < MMAA. Root and shoot As concentrations significantly increased with increasing As application rates. Monomethyl arsonic acid treatments caused the highest As accumulation in both roots and shoots, and this organic arsenical showed a higher uptake rate than the other As compounds. Inner root As concentrations were, in general, within the normal range for As contents in food crops but root skin As levels were close or above the maximum threshold set for As content in edible fruit, crops and vegetables. The statement that toxicity limits plant As uptake to safe levels was not confirmed in our study. If radish plants are exposed to a large pulse of As, as growth on contaminated nutrient solutions, they may accumulate residues which are unacceptable for animal and human consumption without exhibiting symptoms of phytotoxicity.     

Arsenic in marine sediments from French Mediterranean ports: Geochemical partitioning,bioavailability and ecotoxicology

This work investigates arsenic mobility, bioavailability and toxicity in marine port sediments using chemical sequential extraction and laboratory toxicity tests. Sediment samples were collected from two different Mediterranean ports, one highly polluted with arsenic and other inorganic and organic pollutants (Estaque port (EST)), and the other one, less polluted, with a low arsenic content (Saint Mandrier port (SM)). Arsenic distribution in the solid phase was studied using a sequential extraction procedure specifically developed for appraising arsenic mobility in sediments. Toxicity assessment was performed on sediment elutriates, solid phases and aqueous arsenic species as single substance using the embryo-toxicity test on oyster larvae (Crassostrea gigas) and the Microtox test with Vibrio fischeri. Toxicity results showed that all sediment samples presented acute and sub-chronic toxic effects on oyster larvae and bacteria, respectively. The Microtox solid phase test allow to discriminate As-contaminated samples from the less contaminated ones, suggesting that toxicity of whole sediment samples is related to arsenic content. Toxicity of dissolved arsenic species as single substance showed that Vibrio fischeri and oyster larvae are most sensitive to As(V) than As(III). The distribution coefficient (Kd) of arsenic in sediment samples was estimated using results obtained in chemical sequential extractions. The Kd value is greater in SM (450 L kg^?1) than in EST (55 L kg^?1), indicating that arsenic availability is higher for the most toxic sediment sample (Estaque port). This study demonstrates that arsenic speciation play an important role on arsenic mobility and its bioavailability in marine port sediments.     

Recolonization and succession of marine macrobenthos in organic-enriched sediment deposited from fish farms

High organic loading deposited on the sea bottom by marine fish farming activities often eliminates benthic organisms in the vicinity. In this study, organic-enriched sediment collected underneath a fish farm was defaunated, placed in settling trays and exposed to the subtidal area of a clean site of similar hydrography. Trays were sampled monthly for a consecutive period of 5 months, and recolonization and successional patterns of macrobenthos were studied using univariate and multivariate statistics. Recolonization occurred rapidly, and averages of 144 animals/tray and 26 species/tray were recorded within the first month. Molluscs accounted for 49% of species and polychaetes for 77% of abundance during the first month of recolonization. Temporal changes in abundance, diversity and species composition found in subsequent months resembled spatial changes of benthic community along a decreasing pollution gradient generalised by Pearson and Rosenberg (1978, Oceanography & Marine Biology Annual Review 16, 229-311). Abundance reached a peak after 3 months (434 animals/tray) and then declined. Species number also increased, peaked after 4 months (47 species/tray), and was followed by a decrease. The polychaete Prionospio malmgreni succeeded Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata as the dominant species after the first month, reached a peak (194 animals/tray) after 3 months, then declined sharply. The rapid recolonization and succession of the macrobenthic community on organic-enriched sediment suggested that present fish farming methods are unlikely to have a long-term impact on benthic communities once farming activities are reduced/ceased.     

Determination of toxaphenes in fish and marine mammals

An analytical method for the determination of toxaphene in biological materials using gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD) has been established and validated for three single congeners (chlorinated bornanes (CHB) 26, 50 and 62). The analytical method was based on a method for determination of PCB, DDT and other chlorinated pesticides. To include toxaphene congeners an extra step, adsorption chromatography on silica columns, was introduced to separate the pesticides from PCB. The recovery of CHB-26, 50 and 62 were 97+/-11%, 94+/-10% and 99+/-12%, respectively. Samples from cod, ringed seal and polar bear from the Norwegian arctic environment have been analysed. The levels of CHB-26 and 50 found were 13-55 ng/g fat in cod, 1.3-7.7 ng/g fat in ringed seal and 0.4-119 ng/g fat in polar bear. The levels of CHB-62 were 2.0-13, 0.8-3.4, 0.2-11 ng/g fat in cod, ringed seal and polar bear, respectively.     

Distribution of organochlorine pesticides and heavy metal residues in fish and shellfish from Calicut region, Kerala, India

Fish collected from five different locations from the Calicut region, India were analysed for the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and heavy metal (HM) residues in order to elucidate the status of these chemical contaminants in fish and shellfish meant for human consumption. The highest concentrations of OCPs detected in the edible portion of fish were 10.47, 70.57 and 28.35 ng g-1 wet weight, in marine, brackish water and freshwater, respectively. BHC and heptachlor epoxide formed the major share of OCPs in the marine fish while BHCs contributed to the major share in the freshwater and brackish water fish. The DDT (sum of DDT and its metabolites) ranged from 0.05 to 8 ng g-1 in the samples irrespective of the habitat. Among the HMs, Cu, Zn, Mn and Cr were present in the samples irrespective of the place of collection. About 22% of the samples from the freshwater area contained marginally higher lead content above the legal limit of 0.2-0.4 microg g-1. The Cr content ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 microg g-1 in the fish with marginally higher content in the fish from freshwater and marine regions (0.55-1.1 microg g-1). Mercury was detected in the samples (55%) from marine habitat only. The concentrations of OCPs and HMs in the samples, in general, were below the maximum residual level recommended by various organizations.     

Arsenic release from flooded paddy soils is influenced by speciation, Eh, pH, and iron dissolution

Arsenic (As) is highly mobilized when paddy soil is flooded, causing increased uptake of As by rice. We investigated factors controlling soil-to-solution partitioning of As under anaerobic conditions. Changes in As and iron (Fe) speciation due to flooded incubation of two paddy soils (soils A and B) were investigated by HPLC/ICP-MS and XANES. The flooded incubation resulted in a decrease in Eh, a rise in pH, and an increase in the As(III) fraction in the soil solid phase up to 80% of the total As in the soils. The solution-to-soil ratio of As(III) and As(V) (R_L/S) increased with pH due to the flooded incubation. The R_L/S for As(III) was higher than that for As(V), indicating that As(III) was more readily released from soil to solution than was As(V). Despite the small differences in As concentrations between the two soils, the amount of As dissolved by anaerobic incubation was lower in soil A. With the development of anaerobic conditions, Fe(II) remained in the soil solid phase as the secondary mineral siderite, and a smaller amount of Fe was dissolved from soil A than from soil B. The dissolution of Fe minerals rather than redox reaction of As(V) to As(III) explained the different dissolution amounts of As in the two paddy soils. Anaerobic incubation for 30 d after the incomplete suppression of microbial activity caused a drop in Eh. However, this decline in Eh did not induce the transformation of As(V) to As(III) in either the soil solid or solution phases, and the dissolution of As was limited. Microbial activity was necessary for the reductive reaction of As(V) to As(III) even when Eh reached the condition necessary for the dominance of As(III). Ratios of released As to Fe from the soils were decreased with incubation time during both anaerobic incubation and abiotic dissolution by sodium ascorbate, suggesting that a larger amount of As was associated with an easily soluble fraction of Fe (hydr) oxide in amorphous phase and/or smaller particles.     

On-line speciation of arsenical compounds in fish and mussel extracts by HPLC-ICP-MS

The separation and determination of sub-μmol/l levels of six environmentally significant As compounds was accomplished by means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined online with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The species of interest (arsenite and arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenobetaine and arsenocholine) were quantified in fish and mussel extracts after separation on a Dionex AS7 column equipped with an on-guard AG7 column using a bicarbonate buffer as the mobile phase in a gradient mode. The species thus eluted were directly forwarded to the ICP-MS detector. The detection power of the overall system allows each As form to be determined at concentrations as low a 0.0013–0.0027 μmol 1⁻¹.     

Arsenic accumulation in the liver tissue of marine mammals.

Arsenic concentrations were determined in livers of 226 individuals representing 16 different marine mammal species to elucidate its accumulation with age, sex, and feeding habits. Arsenic concentrations varied widely among species and individuals, and ranged from < 0.10 to 7.68 micrograms g-1 dry weight. Marine mammals feeding on cephalopods and crustaceans contained higher arsenic concentrations than those feeding on fishes. No significant gender difference in arsenic concentration was found for almost all the species. Also, no apparent trend with age (or body length) in arsenic accumulation was found for most of the species. It was noted that two seal species, Baikal seal and Caspian seal, from landlocked water environments, contained lower arsenic concentrations than the marine species. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of arsenic accumulation in a wide range of marine mammal species.     

Exposure assessment for trace elements from consumption of marine fish in Southeast Asia

Concentrations of 20 trace elements were determined in muscle and liver of 34 species of marine fish collected from coastal areas of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Large regional difference was observed in the levels of trace elements in liver of one fish family (Carangidae): the highest mean concentration was observed in fish from the Malaysian coastal waters for V, Cr, Zn, Pb and Bi and those from the Java Sea side of Indonesia for Sn and Hg. To assess the health risk to the Southeast Asian populations from consumption of fish, intake rates of trace elements were estimated. Some marine fish showed Hg levels higher than the guideline values by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). This suggests that consumption of these fish may be hazardous to the people.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in marine fish and blue mussels from southern Greenland

Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have not previously been reported in Greenland. In this study shorthorn sculpins (Myoxocephalus scorpius) were sampled at three locations in southern Greenland; Usuk (no population), Igaliko (population 40) and Qaqortoq (population 3200). Furthermore uvak (Gadus ogac), spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor), starry ray (Raja radiata), and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were collected at Usuk. Pooled samples of fish liver and blue mussel were analysed for lower brominated PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100 and BDE-153). The highest PBDE levels were found in Qaqortoq followed by Igaliko and Usuk. The measured sum PBDE concentrations in shorthorn sculpin collected at Qaqortoq, Igaliko and Usuk, were 8.2, 3.1 and 2.1 all in units of microg kg(-1) wet weight. In female and male uvak collected at Usuk PBDE levels of 7.1 and 12.0 microg kg(-1) wet weight were measured, while the concentrations were 1.2 microg kg(-1) in spotted wolffish, 1.4 microg kg(-1) in starry ray and 0.11 microg kg(-1) in blue mussels from the same locality all measured on a wet weight basis. The highest concentrations were measured in uvak, a top-predator on fish indicating that PBDEs are biomagnifying. The level of tetra-hexa BDEs is 15-24 times lower than PCB levels measured in the same samples, except for shorthorn sculpin collected at Qaqortoq, where the level of PBDEs was 40 times lower than the level of PCBs. The high concentration of PCBs relative to PBDEs in shorthorn sculpin collected at Qaqortoq signifies a local emission of PCBs, which is higher than the local emission of PBDEs.