Novel Flame Retardants in Urban-Feeding Ring-Billed Gulls from the St. Lawrence River, Canada

Abstract

This study investigated the occurrence of a comprehensive suite of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and current-use flame retardants (FRs) in ring-billed gulls breeding in a highly industrialized section of the St. Lawrence River, downstream from Montreal (QC, Canada). Despite major point-sources and diffuse contamination by FRs, nearly no FR data have been reported in birds from this area. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (BEHTBP) was detected in 89% of ring-billed gull livers (mean: 2.16 ng/g ww; max: 17.6 ng/g ww). To our knowledge, this is the highest detection frequency and highest concentrations reported thus far in any avian species or populations. Dechlorane Plus (DP) isomers were also particularly abundant (anti-DP detected in 100% and syn-DP in 93% of livers). Other detected FR compounds (3-14% detection) included 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EHTBB), hexachlorocyclopentenyl-dibromocyclooctane (HCDBCO) and β-1,2-dibromo-4-(1.2-dibromoethyl)-cyclohexane (β-TBECH). Mean BDE-209 (57.2 ± 12.2 ng/g ww) in ring-billed gull livers was unexpectedly high for this midtrophic gull species, exceeding levels reported in several apex raptors such as peregrine falcons. BDE-209's relative contribution to ∑PBDEs was on average 25% (exceeding BDE-47 and BDE-99) and contrasted with profiles typically reported for fish-eating gull species. The present study highlighted preoccupying gaps in upcoming FR regulations and stressed the need for further investigation of the sources of FR exposure in highly urbanized areas.

A mixture of the novel brominated flame retardants TBPH and TBB affects fecundity and transcript profiles of the HPGL-axis in Japanese medaka

“…Both TBPH and TBB have been listed as high production volume chemicals by the US EPA (Ma et al, 2012), and due to the phase-out of legacy BFRs, production of these two compounds is hypothesized to be increasing. In partial confirmation of this hypothesis, these compounds have been detected in a variety of abiotic and biotic matrices (Ali et al, 2012;De Wit et al, 2011;Gentes et al, 2012;Lam et al, 2009;Lee et al, 2010;Stapleton et al, 2008). TBPH and TBB have been detected in air by the Global Atmospheric Sampling Network (Lee et al, 2010), in air collected in the great lakes area of North America by the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (Ma et al, 2012) and in dust in North America (Stapleton et al, 2008) and New Zealand (Ali et al, 2012).…”

“…TBPH and TBB have been detected in air by the Global Atmospheric Sampling Network (Lee et al, 2010), in air collected in the great lakes area of North America by the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (Ma et al, 2012) and in dust in North America (Stapleton et al, 2008) and New Zealand (Ali et al, 2012). TBPH and TBB have also been detected in blubber from humpback dolphins and finless porpoises in South China (Lam et al, 2009), and ring-billed gulls downstream of Montréal, Canada (Gentes et al, 2012).…”

Persistent halogenated compounds in fish from rivers in the Pearl River Delta, South China: Geographical pattern and implications for anthropogenic effects on the environment

“…To meet stringent fire safety regulations, several non-regulated halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), such as decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and Dechlorane Plus (DP), are being used as alternatives for PBDEs in some applications (Covaci et al, 2011). Although information on the environmental effects of the alternative HFRs is limited, available data have revealed that these AHFRs could also be persistent, bioaccumulative, and subject to long-range transport on a global scale leading to their widespread presence in the environment (Gentes et al, 2012). The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is formed by the large river system that includes the Pearl, Xijiang, Beijiang, and Dongjiang Rivers.…”

Analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and emerging halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants in human hair and nails

“…samples [8]. Recent studies have suggested that the concentrations of replacement flame retardants in air have been increasing, and some of their concentrations have already surpassed those of PBDEs [3,9].…”