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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their methoxylated metabolites in anchovy (Coilia sp.) from the Yangtze River Delta, China

  • Area 6 • Environmental Analyses and Monitoring • Research Article
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Abstract

Background, aim, and scope

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their metabolites are toxic to animals, and concentrations of the PBDEs metabolites can exceed those of the parent materials. But no information was available on concentrations of PBDEs metabolites in the lower Yangtze River in the region around Jiangsu Province of China, which is heavily urbanized and industrialized area. The aims of this study were to determine whether PBDEs and their methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs) were accumulated in Coilia sp. in this area and to investigate the potential sources for these two kinds of brominated organic pollutants.

Materials and methods

Samples of four species of anchovy were collected from eight sites in the lower Yangtze River, Taihu Lake, and Hongzehu Lake. Concentrations of 13 PBDEs congeners and eight methoxylated PBDEs were determined by use of organic solvent extraction, followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Results and discussion

The frequencies of detection for PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs were 92% and 53%, respectively. Concentrations of ∑PBDEs ranged from not detected (ND) to 77 ng/g lipids (ND–3.8 ng/g wet weight). Concentrations of ∑MeO-PBDEs in anchovy ranged from ND to 48 ng/g lipids (ND–8.2 ng/g wet weight). The PBDE concentrations in anchovy from the Yangtze River Delta were similar to or less than those reported for other species from other locations around the world, while the concentrations of MeO-PBDEs were comparable to or slightly less than those reported in other studies. This is the first report of MeO-PBDEs in biota of China.

Conclusions

The results of this study as well as those of other studies suggest that PBDEs in anchovy are primarily of synthetic origin and released by human activities, while MeO-PBDEs in anchovy are primarily from nature as natural products from the sea instead of metabolism of PBDEs in anchovy.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the financial supports of the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program) (No. 2008CB418102), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 20737001), NSFC/RGC Joint Research Grant (No. 20518002 and N_CityU110/05), Jiangsu Science and Technology Department (BM2006503), Jiangsu Ocean and Fishery Department (K2006-3) and Department of Personnel Jiangsu (07-G-028) China. Prof. Giesy was supported by the Canada Research Chair program and an at large Chair Professorship at the Department of Biology and Chemistry and Research Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation, City University of Hong Kong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Guan-yong Su, Zi-shen Gao, Yijun Yu, Si Wei, Jian-fang Feng, John P. Giesy & Hong-xia Yu

  2. Changzhou Environmental Monitoring Center, Changzhou, 213001, China

    Yijun Yu

  3. Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, 210017, China

    Jia-chun Ge & Feng-yan Liu

  4. Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    John P. Giesy

  5. Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    John P. Giesy

  6. Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China

    John P. Giesy & Michael H. W. Lam

  7. State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Oceanography and Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Siming Nanlu 422, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, People’s Republic of China

    John P. Giesy

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  1. Guan-yong Su
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  2. Zi-shen Gao
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  7. Feng-yan Liu
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  9. Michael H. W. Lam
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  10. Hong-xia Yu
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Correspondence to Hong-xia Yu.

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Responsible editor: Alvin L. Young

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Su, Gy., Gao, Zs., Yu, Y. et al. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their methoxylated metabolites in anchovy (Coilia sp.) from the Yangtze River Delta, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 17, 634–642 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-009-0236-z

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