Changes in polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in cooked food

Food surveys for levels of toxic chemicals frequently report the levels on an uncooked basis. It is known that cooking may in some conditions decrease the amount of dioxins and related chemicals in food. Surveys of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in food to date show data from uncooked food only. In this article, it was shown that broiling, with fat dripped from the foods reported here, ground beef, ground lamb, catfish, trout, and salmon, reduces the amount of PBDEs in these foods. This suggests that calculations of food intake need to take into consideration levels in the cooked food rather than in the uncooked food.     

Trophic transfer of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in a tidal freshwater marsh

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) at Tinicum Marsh contains one of the last remaining tidal freshwater marsh communities along the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River Estuary. The marsh receives a significant load of nutrients and sediment-associated contaminants and is hypothesised to act as an effective trap for these chemicals. The goal of this study was to quantify the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at various trophic levels at two sites within Tinicum Marsh and assess the factors important in determining their bioaccumulation and trophic transfer. For both PCBs and PBDEs, lipid variation for all species was a large factor in determining contaminant body burden. Also, concentrations in biota increased with increasing trophic level as determined by nitrogen isotope analysis (δ¹⁵N values) at the downstream site within Tinicum Marsh. This trend was less apparent at the upstream site and may be due to differences in feeding behaviours among species between the two sites and/or differences in carbon and nitrogen sources and recycling. These data are valuable in assisting bioaccumulation/trophic transfer studies and serve as benchmarks to which future PCB and PBDE concentrations will be compared.     

成渝经济区河流表层沉积物中多溴联苯醚的分布特征

在成渝经济区内采集了19个表层沉积物样品,采用GC/MS方法对其中的PBDEs(Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers,多溴联苯醚)进行了检测. 结果表明,沉积物中w(ΣPBDEs)(ΣPBDEs包括BDE-1,BDE-15,BDE-17,BDE-28,BDE-47,BDE-66,BDE-71,BDE-85,BDE-99,BDE-100,BDE-126,BDE-138,BDE-153,BDE-154,BDE-166,BDE-181,BDE-183和BDE-190)为0.20～6.45 ng/g,w(BDE-209)为0.44～6.29 ng/g. 与其他地区相比,成渝经济区内PBDEs的污染水平相对较低, 大部分样品中的PBDEs以BDE-209为主,说明成渝经济区河流沉积物中的PBDEs主要来自十溴联苯醚; 但PBDEs的组成特征显示,彭山岷江大桥沉积物中的PBDEs主要来自五溴联苯醚,而官渡沉积物中的PBDEs主要来自八溴联苯醚. 此外,一些以往工作较少关注的PBDEs单体,如BDE-1,BDE-15,BDE-181和BDE-190等,不但在沉积物中的检出率较高(均高于70%),而且有的含量也相对较高.      

天津塘沽海滨浴场沉积物中POPs的垂直分布

应用GC-MS对渤海湾潮间带天津塘沽海滨浴场沉积物中的多环芳烃、有机氯农药、多氯联苯和多溴联苯醚等持久性有机污染物的垂直分布进行了研究.4类污染物的污染水平依次为PAHs>OCPs>PCBs>PBDEs,其质量分数范围分别为113.1～1 040.0和7.6～118.1 ng/g,715.0～7 048.3和10.0～158.2 pg/g(以干质量计). 在0～50 cm深度,w(PAHs)相对较高且变化较大,50 cm以下深度,w(PAHs)逐渐降低且变化较小.在测定的16种PAHs中w(菲)最高,并随深度的增加而降低.污染源解析表明,PAHs的污染主要来自石油输入和煤、木炭等的燃烧. OCPs的垂直分布与PAHs类似,在定量的20种OCPs中,w(HCB)最高,其次是w(HCHs)和w(DDTs);研究表明HCHs和DDT没有新的输入. 在0～70 cm深度,w(PCBs)低且变化小,70～80 cm深度突增1个数量级. w(PBDEs)较w(PCBs)低1个数量级,在5～10 cm深度污染水平最高.      

典型电子垃圾拆解区大气中多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）的季节变化特征

电子垃圾污染问题已经引起了人们的广泛关注。研究了一典型电子垃圾拆解区及其上下风向大气中PBDEs的季节变化特征。结果表明,夏季电子垃圾拆解区大气中∑17BDEs总浓度为9930pg·m-3,冬季∑20BDEs的总浓度高达41476pg·m-3;和夏季相比,冬季五溴-联苯醚的百分比降低了16.7%,而十溴-联苯醚升高了10.2%,但是,其组成仍然是五溴-联苯醚为主,十溴-联苯醚次之,八溴-联苯醚最少。上下风向地区大气中PBDEs浓度及其组成成分由于受到电子垃圾拆解、本地生产方式和季节变化的影响也表现出相应的变化形式。     

广州市室内尘土中多溴联苯醚的分布特点及来源

随机采集了广州市46个家庭和12个办公室内尘土样品,同时采集了17个室外尘土样品、2个电视机和2个电脑尘土样品并分析了室内尘土中多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)的含量、单体分布及来源.结果表明,家庭尘土中∑10PBDEs(BDE28,47,66,85,99,100,153,154,183,209之和)的含量为 564.3~9654ng/g,中值和均值分别为 2686,3407ng/g;办公室尘土中∑10PBDEs 的含量为 1737~4408ng/g,中值和均值分别为3133,3179ng/g.室内尘土中PBDEs的最主要单体为BDE209,分别占家庭尘土和办公室尘土∑10PBDEs的97.4%和99.0%.BDE47、99和183在室内尘土中含量也较高.大多数室内尘土中∑10PBDEs的含量高于室外,说明室内可能有重要的PBDEs释放源.室内尘土中PBDEs的主要工业品来源为十溴联苯醚,五溴联苯醚次之,八溴联苯醚较少.     

Method optimization to measure polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations in soils of Bratislava, Slovakia

We modified an analytical method to determine polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in urban soils of Bratislava (Slovakia). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) introduced as a clean-up step for soil extracts substantially reduced matrix enhancements when PBDEs were measured with gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-NCI-MS). The resulting method proved to be accurate, precise, and showed low detection limits. The sum of 15 PBDE concentrations in surface horizons of Bratislava soils ranged from 87 to 627 pg g⁻¹. PBDE concentrations were mostly higher in surface than deeper horizons probably because of atmospheric deposition and lack of substantial vertical transport. Lower brominated PBDEs undergo more soil-atmosphere exchanges or are more scavenged and transferred with litter fall to the soil organic matter than higher brominated ones as suggested by the correlation between lower brominated PBDEs and soil organic C (C_org) concentrations.     

Dietary exposure of juvenile common sole (Solea solea L.) to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): Part 2. Formation, bioaccumulation and elimination of hydroxylated metabolites

The uptake, elimination and transformation of six PBDE congeners (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, -209) were studied in juvenile common sole (Solea solea L.) exposed to spiked contaminated food over a three-month period, and then depurated over a five-month period. Methoxylated (MeO-) and hydroxylated (OH-) PBDEs were determined in fish plasma exposed to PBDEs and compared to those obtained in control fish. While all MeO- and some OH- congeners identified in fish plasma were found to originate from non-metabolic sources, several OH- congeners, i.e., OH-tetraBDEs and OH-pentaBDEs, were found to originate from fish metabolism. Among these, 4′-OH-BDE-49 was identified as a BDE-47 metabolite. Congener 4′-OH-BDE-101, identified here for the first time, may be the result of BDE-99 metabolic transformation. Our results unequivocally showed that PBDEs are metabolised in juvenile sole via the formation of OH- metabolites. However, this was not a major biotransformation route compared to biotransformation through debromination.     

Spatial distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in an e-waste dismantling region in Southeast China: Use of apple snail (Ampullariidae) as a bioindicator

Fengjiang is a large e-waste dismantling site located in southeast China. In this paper, apple snail and soil samples were collected from this e-waste dismantling site and 25 vicinal towns to investigate the contamination status, spatial distributions and congener patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Total PCB concentrations in apple snails (3.78-1812 ng g⁻¹ dry weight (dw)) were significant higher than that in soil samples (0.48-90.1 ng g⁻¹ dw). PBDE (excluding BDE 209) concentrations in apple snail and soil samples ranged from 0.09 to 27.7 ng g⁻¹ dw and 0.06 to 31.2 ng g⁻¹ dw, respectively. Concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in snails and soils correlated negatively with the distance from Fengjiang. Both the concentrations and profiles of the pollutants were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) between the snail and soil samples, indicating the suitability of apple snail as a reliable bioindicator for PCBs and PBDEs contamination in this region. Relatively high concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs at locations far from e-waste dismantling sites implied that these pollutants have been transported to surrounding regions.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and organochlorine compound levels in brown trout (Salmo trutta) from Andean Patagonia, Argentina

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDTs and endosulfan residues were analyzed in muscle, liver, gonads, gills and stomach content of brown trout (Salmo trutta) from the Andean Patagonia. PBDEs, PCBs and DDTs levels were positively correlated with lipid content, while less hydrophobic endosulfans showed a poor correlation. Endosulfan levels were about 99.9% of total contaminant (highest levels in liver 500 × 10³ ng g⁻¹ lipid weight), with α-/β-isomers ratio >1 in all organs. These results are in agreement to the current-use of the technical endosulfan and also suggest acute exposure to this insecticide. Conversely, DDT/DDE ratio reflects fish exposure to old DDT sources, showing a DDE predominance. Gills had the highest levels of DDTs, PCBs and PBDEs, indicating they represent the main uptake pathway for such hydrophobic compounds from water column. PCBs showed the lowest levels in all organs and the PBDEs/PCBs ratios >1 agree with worldwide trends. PBDEs levels in gonads, gills, liver and muscle exceeded 80 ng g⁻¹ (lipid weight) and were higher than other values reported in the Southern Hemisphere. BDE-47 was the predominant congener, suggesting higher bioaccumulation potential and possible brown trout metabolism of higher congeners. Since there is no point source of PBDEs in the region and residues were dominated by lower brominated congeners, atmospheric transport could be the main source of these compounds. This first report of PBDEs levels in fish from Argentina contributes to the knowledge about environmental trends of these persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in remote areas such as the Andean Patagonia.