Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of some brominated flame retardants in a Lake Winnipeg (Canada) food web

The extent of bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) congeners, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) diastereoisomers (α, β, and γ), decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE), and bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) was examined in a Lake Winnipeg (Canada) food web. Six species of fish, zooplankton, mussels, sediment, and water from the south basin of the lake were selected for study. Significant positive correlations were found between concentrations of total (Σ) polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs; p α-HBCD (11 ± 2 pg/L) > BTBPE (1.9 ± 0.6 pg/L). Concentrations of DPDPE, BDE 209, and β- and γ-HBCD isomers were below their respective method detection limits (MDLs) in water. Total PBDE concentrations in sediment (n = 4) were greater than any other brominated flame retardant examined in the present study and ranged from 1,160 to 1,610 ng/g (dry wt), with BDE 209 contributing roughly 50% of the total. The γ-HBCD isomer was detected at concentrations of 50 ± 20 pg/g (dry wt) in sediment, whereas BTBPE and DBDPE were consistently below their respective MDLs in sediment.