Levels and trends of the emerging contaminants HBCDs (hexabromocyclododecanes) and PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) in marine shellfish along French coasts

Abstract

The levels and congener patterns of HBCDs (hexabromocyclododecanes) and PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) were determined in filter-feeding molluscs collected in 2008 and 2010 along the coasts of mainland France. α-HBCD and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) were detected in all samples, revealing widespread contamination of the coastal environment by these emerging contaminants. The spatial distribution of Σ-HBCD concentrations showed higher median levels in samples from the Mediterranean Sea and English Channel respectively, i.e. 0.19 ng g(-1) wet weight (ww) and 0.08 ng g(-1) ww, related to high anthropogenic pressure from urban and industrial activities, while the median concentration was 0.05 ng g(-1) ww in samples from the Atlantic coast. Among PFCs, PFOS was the only compound detected in all samples and PFDA (perfluorodecanoic acid) was the second most frequently-detected compound. PFOS median concentrations were 0.18 ng g(-1) ww, 0.09 ng g(-1) ww and 0.04 ng g(-1) ww in samples from the English Channel, the Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean coast respectively. The highest PFOS concentration was found in the Loire estuary, possibly related to local industrial activities. The Mediterranean samples showed a different pattern, with predominant long-chain PFCAs (perfluorocarboxylic acids), suggesting the presence of alternative sources on the Mediterranean coast. The temporal trends studied in archived samples from the Seine estuary site showed a significant exponential increase in HBCD concentrations between 1981 and 2011, with a doubling time of 7 years, while PFOS levels underwent a significant linear decrease over time. These trends are coherent with current regulations on the use of these compounds. The results presented in this paper provide the first data on the contamination of the French coastal marine environment by the selected emerging compounds, and constitute a reference for the future monitoring of French coastal contamination by emerging contaminants.

Levels of perfluorinated compounds in raw and cooked Mediterranean finfish and shellfish

“…Even fewer are the studies focusing on fish and shellfish from the Mediterranean Sea. More specifically, there are studies reporting PFC levels in shellfish from France (Munschy et al, 2013), Spain (Domingo et al, 2012b) and Italy (Nania et al, 2009 andGuerranti et al, 2013), farmed fish from Italy (Paiano et al, 2013) and marine fish from Spain (Domingo et al, 2012b) and Italy (Nania et al, 2009). The results reported from Italy by Nania et al, refer to different species of Mediterranean fish and shellfish, with the exception of Loligo vulgaris (common squid) and species of mussel and red mullet which are relatives of the species studied herein.…”

The English Channel: Contamination status of its transitional and coastal waters

“…Analyses of archived freeze-dried M. edulis samples from a site in the Seine Estuary showed a trend of increasing concentrations, with a doubling time of about 8 years, as shown in Fig. 6c (Munschy et al, 2013). This may reflect increasing use and/or release of these compounds to the environment.…”

“…The HBCDD family is made up of three stereoisomers, a-, b-and c-HBCDD, of which a-HBCDD predominates in the tissues of marine mussels, accounting for typically 99% of the total. Concentrations in the tissues of mussels sampled between 2008 and 2010 were in the range 0.06-0.41 ng g À1 (wet wt) (Munschy et al, 2013). Analyses of archived freeze-dried M. edulis samples from a site in the Seine Estuary showed a trend of increasing concentrations, with a doubling time of about 8 years, as shown in Fig.…”

What is the effect of phasing out long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on the concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids and their precursors in the environment? A systematic review

“…For the remaining 18 datasets with less than 7 time points that underwent regression analysis, two showed increasing trends (beluga (E. Chukchi) [123]), polar bear (Baffin Island) [132]), one showed decreasing trends (blue mussel (France) [113]) and the remaining 15 showed no significant changes over time, but the power to detect such trends was below optimum (< 0.8).…”