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Title: COMPARISONS OF PBDE COMPOSITION AND CONCENTRATION IN FISH COLLECTED FROM THE DETROIT RIVER, MI AND DES PLAINES RIVER, IL

Author
item Rice, Clifford
item CHERNYAK, S - USGS
item BEGNOCHE, L - USGS
item QUINTAL, R - USGS
item HICKEY, J - USGS

Submitted to: Chemosphere
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/5/2002
Publication Date: 3/20/2003
Citation: Rice, C., Chernyak, S., Begnoche, L., Quintal, R., Hickey, J. 2003. Comparisons of PBDE composition and concentration in fish collected from the Detroit River, MI and Des Plaines River, IL. Chemosphere. 49(2002)731-737.

Interpretive Summary: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)are emerging global pollutants associated with commerce and are found in fire retardants. PBDEs were isolated from fish collected from the Detroit River, MI and Des Plaines Rivers, IL. In the Detroit River fish, the forms that contained four bromine atoms were dominant in both the carp and large mouth bass. However, in the Des Plaines carp, the predominant form were those with seven bromine atoms (heptabromo). Heptabromo residues have only infrequently been reported in environmental samples, especially biota. Average concentration totals (sum of concentrations for the dominant PBDE isomers) were similar for the carp and large mouth bass in the Detroit River samples. Average total PBDE concentrations in the carp in the Des Plaines River were greater at the lower site than the upper site. This information is needed to further the understanding of environmental pollutant fate and for determining guidelines in instituting total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for pollutants.

Technical Abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were isolated from fish collected from the Detroit River, MI and Des Plaines Rivers, IL. In the Detroit River fish the isomer patterns were dominated by the tetrabromo isomer, number 47, in both the carp and large mouth bass, however the heptabromo isomers were dominant in the Des Plaines carp (isomers number 181 and 183). Average concentration totals (sum of concentrations for the dominant PBDE isomers) were similar on a wet weight bases for the carp (5.39 ng/g wet weight) and large mouth bass (5.25 ng/g) in the Detroit River samples. When these concentration were compared on a lipid basis, he bass were significantly higher, 163 ng versus 70.4 ng per g lipid weight for bass and carp, respectively. Average total PBDE concentrations in the carp in the Des Plaines River ranged from 7.7 ng/g at the upper site to 14.4 ng/g wet weight at the lower site. These residues were isolated using standard organochlorine methods for fish analyses. Analyses were carried out using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-negative chemical ionization.