Louise Wootton, Georgian Court University

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been dubbed “the PCBs of the 21st century” (Wilbur 2005). Commonly used as flame-retardants, PBDEs are found in a wide variety of products including furniture and electronic equipment. PBDEs are mixed with polymers like plastics and polyurethane as they are being made, but do not bind to the polymers chemically, and so can leach from these materials throughout the life of the product.  Since PBDEs can be a significant component of these materials (e.g. up to 30% in polyurethane cushions), and are highly stable and thus persistent in nature, there is strong potential for environmental contamination by these compounds.   

PBDE residues have been found in the tissues of marine and terrestrial species around the globe (Boer et al. 1998, Lichota et al. 2004, Wolkers et al. 2004) and to have major impacts on animal and human health.  For example, PBDEs are linked to decreased eggshell thickness in peregrine falcons (Sørensen et al. 2004) and decreased bone densities in polar bears (Sonne et al. 2004).  PBDEs have also been found to be potent thyroid disruptors (Ilonka et al. 2000), have been implicated in the development of learning disabilities in mice (Eriksson et al. 2001) and are likely carcinogens (McDonald 2002).  PBDE concentrations in human tissues have increased about 100 fold over the past 30 years, with concentrations in people from the United States being about 20 times higher than in people from Europe, where there has been stronger regulatory control over PBDE manufacture and use (Hites 2004).

Concentrations of PBDEs in New Jersey’s Coastal Ecosystems are poorly known.  To address this data gap, we propose to develop the proficiencies required to monitor PBDEs in sediment, water and biota within the Barnegat Bay.  Once the methodologies have been established and tested within our laboratories, we intend to develop a monitoring program to assess the extent of and changes in PBDE pollution in the Barnegat Bay over time.

Along with Dr. Andrew Weber (Dept of Chemistry, GCU), my students and I are well on our way to being able to assess the concentrations of these important environmental contaminants in New Jersey's Coastal Waters and are looking forward to starting collecting and analyzing water, sediment and tissue samples collected in various New Jersey Estuaries in the Spring of 2006. 

References Cited 

Boer J de, Wester PG, Klamer HJC, Lewis WE, Boon JP. 1998. Do flame-retardants threaten ocean life? Nature 394: 28-9 

Central Arizona- Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research (CAPLTER). 2001. CAPLTER Water sampling protocol. http://caplter.asu.edu/fieldprotocols/WaterSampling.htm  

Eriksson P, Jakobsson E, Fredriksson A. 2001. Brominated flame retardants: A novel class of developmental neurotoxicants in our environment? Environ Health Pers 109:903-8 

Hites RA. 2004.   Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environment and in people: A meta-analysis of concentrations.  Environ Sci Technol 38(4): 945-56. 

Ilonka A, TM Meerts, JJ van Zanden, EAC Luijks, I van Leeuwen-Bol, G Marsh, E Jakobsson , Å Bergman and A Brouwer. 2000. Potent competitive interactions of some brominated flame retardants and related compounds with human transthyretin in vitro. Toxicol Sci 56: 95-104. 

Lichota GB, McAdie M, Ross PS.  2004.  Endangered Vancouver Island marmots (Marmota vancouverensis: sentinels of atmospherically delivered contaminants to British Columbia, Canada.  Environ Toxicol Chem 23(2):402-7. 

McDonald TA. 2002. A perspective on the potential health risks of PBDEs. Chemosphere 46 (5):745-755

Rieck RH. 2004 Polybrominated diphenyl ether analysis in fish tissue and other matrices by GC–ECD. LCGC North America 22(9): 914 -925 

Sonne C, Dietz R, Born EW, Riget FF, Kirkegaard M, Hyldstrup L, Letcher RJ, Muir DCG.   2004. Is bone mineral composition disrupted by organochlorines in East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus)? Environ Health Pers 112 (17): 1711-6 

Sørensen PB, Vorkamp K, Thomsen M, Falk K, Møller S. 2004. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Greenland environment - Long-term temporal changes and effects on eggs of a bird of prey. NERI Technical Report No. 509.

http://www.panda.org/downloads/toxics/preegrinefalcons.pdf  

Wilbur S. 2005.  GC-ICP-MS – A powerful alternative for detection of brominated flame-retardants.   Agilent Separation Times 18 (2):  4-5.  

Wolkers H, Van Bavel B, Derocher AE, Wiig O, Kovacs KM, Lydersen C, Lindstrom G.  2004.   Congener-specific accumulation and food chain transfer of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in two Arctic food chains.  Environ Sci Technol 38:1667-74.

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Author: Louise Wootton. Ph.D.  Last updated January 15, 2006