Contamination and ecological risk of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in surface sediments of mangrove wetlands: A nationwide study in China. (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chai, Minwei; Ding, Huan; Shen, Xiaoxue; Li, Ruili
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 249(2019)
• Page Start: 992
• Page End: 1001
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers -- Mangrove wetland -- Human health -- China; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.02.044
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Mangroves act as sinks for terrigenous pollutants to alleviate their influence on offshore marine ecosystem. The nationwide study of PBDEs contamination in mangrove wetlands of China has not been explored, and their risk for human health lack quantitative analysis. In this study, sediment samples were collected in six mangrove wetlands along coastal area of South China to evaluate the levels, congener distributions and ecological risks of eight PBDEs, including BDE-28, -47, −99, −100, −153, −154, −183, and −209. Levels of ∑ PBDEs (the sum of seven PBDEs except BDE-209) and BDE-209 were 0.13–2.18 ng g −1 and 1.44–120.28 ng g −1, respectively. In particular, mean level of BDE-209 was highest in Futian, followed by Yunxiao, Fangchenggang, Zhanjiang, Dongzhaigang, and Dongfang. As dominant PBDE congener, BDE-209 accounted for 63.6%–99.1% of the total PBDEs, suggesting the major sources of commercial deca-BDE mixtures. Among seven PBDE congeners except BDE-209, slightly different percentages of PBDE congeners were detected, with BDE-154, -47, and −100 being predominant congeners. Positive relationship was observed for total organic matter (TOM) with BDE-209, with no such relationships found for particle size compositions (clay, silt and sand). As for sediment-dwelling organism, the ecological risks from tri-, tera-, and hexa-BDE congeners could be negligible, and those from penta- and deca-BDE congeners were low or moderate, indicating major ecological risk drivers of penta- and deca-BDE congeners in mangrove wetlands in China. The ecological risk of PBDEs in mangrove sediments for human health was thought to be consumption of fish which would bioaccumulate PBDEs from the contaminated sediment. As for human health, the levels of non-cancer risks of PBDEs were all lower than 1, and the cancer risk was far less than the threshold level (10 −6 ), demonstrating low risk for human health. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: PBDEs in six mangrove wetlands along coastal area of China was first reported. Levels of ∑ PBDEs and BDE-209 were 0.13–2.18 ng g −1 and 1.44–120.28 ng g −1, respectively. TOM affected spatial distribution and ecological risk of BDE-209 in mangrove sediments. Penta- and deca-BDE congeners posed potential low or moderate ecological risks. PBDEs demonstrated low non-cancer risk and cancer risk for human health. Abstract : Mangroves in China were contaminated by PBDEs, which was potentially toxic for sediment-dwelling organism, without risk for human health.