Post on 27-Mar-2015
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether
(PBDE)
Flame Retardants in San
Francisco Bay
Daniel R. Oros, Ph.D.
San Francisco Estuary Institute
PBDEs are HOT contaminants!
PBDEs are HOT contaminants!
•Persistent: long lived in the environment
PBDEs are HOT contaminants!
•Persistent: long lived in the environment
•Bioaccumulative: transport through food
webs
PBDEs are HOT contaminants!
•Persistent: long lived in the environment
•Bioaccumulative: transport through food
webs
•Dispersed: world-wide contamination in
humans, animals, our food sources and
environment
PBDEs are HOT contaminants!
•Persistent: long lived in the environment
•Bioaccumulative: transport through food
webs
•Dispersed: world-wide contamination in
humans, animals, our food sources and
environment
•Endocrine disruptors: target the thyroid
O
Br
Br
Br
Br O
Br
Br
Br
Br
Br
O
Br
Br
Br
Br
Br
O
BrBr
Br
Br
Br
Br
Br
PBDE Commercial Mixtures and Major Congeners
BDE-47 BDE-99
BDE-209
BDE-100
BDE-183
O
Br
Br
Br
Br
Br
Br
BDE-154
O
Br
Br
Br
Br
Br
Br
BDE-153
O
BrBr
Br
Br Br
Br Br
Br
BrBr
Penta
Octa Deca
PBDEs Banned in California
•Ban on Penta and Octa mixtures, but not Deca, will be in effect on June 1, 2006
•The ban might not be very effective at decreasing environmental PBDE concentrations
North America use of PBDEs: Deca (75%),
Penta (21%) and Octa (4%) of total mass
Deca degrades to lower molecular weight PBDE congeners
Distribution of PBDEs in SF Bay Water 2002
PBDEs range 3-513 pg/L
Source: RMP
PBDEs range 0.2-212 ng/g dry wt
Distribution of PBDEs in SF Bay Sediments 2002
Source: RMP
PBDEs range (dry wt)Mussels 13-47 ng/gOysters 9-64 ng/gClams 85-106 ng/g
Distributions of PBDEs in SF Bay Bivalves 2002
Source: RMP
Distributions of PBDEs in SF Bay Bivalves 2001-2003
0
30
60
90
120
Clams Oysters Mussels
Bivalve
Mea
n T
ota
l PB
DE
s (n
g/g
dry
wt)
2001
2002
2003
Source: RMP
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Jacksmelt LeopardShark
WhiteCroaker
Surfperch StripedBass
Halibut
Mea
n To
tal P
BD
Es
(ng/
g lip
id)
1997
2002
Distributions of PBDEs in SF Bay Fish 1997 and 2002
Source: EWG, 2003
Distributions of PBDEs in SF Bay Tern Eggs. Forester’s tern eggs showed the highest ever reported PBDE levels in wildlife = 63 ppm
Source: She et al., 2004
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
LeastTern
CaspianTern
Forster'sTern
Mea
n T
ota
l PB
DE
s (n
g/g
lip
id)
Least Tern
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Current work in the Bay
PBDE Conceptual Model and Impairment Assessment funded by RMP and CEP
•Identify PBDE Sources
•Estimate PBDE Loading
•Assess Extent of Bay Impairment from
PBDEs
Major Sources of PBDEs to the Environment
• Wastewater effluents
• Sludge disposal
• Volatilization from commercial
products
• Burning of disposed commercial
products
Other Suspected Sources
• Atmospheric deposition (e.g., autofluff
piles)
• Tributary inflow (stormwater runoff)
Like PCBs, the PBDEs in Guadalupe River are strongly associated with suspended sediments
Source: RMP
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420
Time (min)
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f C
on
gen
ers
Sunlight degrades BDE-209 to lower molecular weight congeners (Source: Bezares-
Cruz et al., 2004).
10 Br Atoms (BDE-209)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420
Time (min)
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f C
on
gen
ers
Sunlight degrades BDE-209 to lower molecular weight congeners (Source: Bezares-
Cruz et al., 2004).
9-10 Br Atoms10 Br Atoms (BDE-209)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420
Time (min)
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f C
on
gen
ers
Sunlight degrades BDE-209 to lower molecular weight congeners (Source: Bezares-
Cruz et al., 2004).
9-10 Br Atoms10 Br Atoms (BDE-209)
7-10 Br Atoms
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420
Time (min)
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f C
on
gen
ers
Sunlight degrades BDE-209 to lower molecular weight congeners (Source: Bezares-
Cruz et al., 2004).
BDE-209 is not detected at 30 min7-9 Br Atoms
9-10 Br Atoms10 Br Atoms (BDE-209)
7-10 Br Atoms
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420
Time (min)
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f C
on
gen
ers
Sunlight degrades BDE-209 to lower molecular weight congeners (Source: Bezares-
Cruz et al., 2004).
BDE-209 is not detected at 30 min
5-8 Br Atoms
7-9 Br Atoms
9-10 Br Atoms10 Br Atoms (BDE-209)
7-10 Br Atoms
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420
Time (min)
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f C
on
gen
ers
Sunlight degrades BDE-209 to lower molecular weight congeners (Source: Bezares-
Cruz et al., 2004).
BDE-209 is not detected at 30 min
4-7 Br Atoms
5-8 Br Atoms
7-9 Br Atoms
9-10 Br Atoms10 Br Atoms (BDE-209)
7-10 Br Atoms
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420
Time (min)
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f C
on
gen
ers
Sunlight degrades BDE-209 to lower molecular weight congeners (Source: Bezares-
Cruz et al., 2004).
BDE-209 is not detected at 30 min
3-7 Br Atoms4-7 Br Atoms
5-8 Br Atoms
7-9 Br Atoms
9-10 Br Atoms10 Br Atoms (BDE-209)
7-10 Br Atoms
Closing
•The Bay Area appears to be a “Hot Spot” for PBDEs
•The CA ban on Penta and Octa, but not Deca, might not result in an immediate and significant decrease in environmental PBDE levels
•Water and sediment quality criteria have not yet been developed for PBDEs, but they are coming.
Acknowledgements
•RMP
•AXYS Analytical Services Ltd
•East Bay Municipal Utility District
•CA Dept of Fish and Game
•SFEI