Influence of biological and ecological factors on the bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in aquatic food webs from French estuaries

Previous studies have shown the worldwide presence of six congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in marine biota (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153 and -154). The objective of the present study was to document their presence, their level and their transfer in the food web of two major estuaries in France, the Loire and the Seine. PBDEs were quantified in eight principal species from the Loire, representing primary consumers (the bivalve Scrobicularia plana), omnivores (the worm Nereis diversicolor, the shrimps Crangon crangon, Palaemon elegans and Palaemon serratus, the flatfish Platichthys flesus and Solea solea) and supercarnivores (the eel Anguilla anguilla). In the Seine, only worms, bivalves, sole and eels have been studied. Parameters, which can interfere with the interpretation of contamination data (organ distribution, influence of weight or size of specimens, lipid richness, intrinsic variability), have been examined. BDE-47 was the predominant congener in all biota. Higher contamination was observed in most of the species collected from the Seine, in agreement with the higher human presence and economic activity in the Seine than in the Loire basin. PBDEs have been shown to biomagnify in both of the studied estuarine food webs. However, assessment of PBDE transfer from seafood products exposed to contaminants in the Seine estuary showed that human daily intake is far below the no observed adverse effect levels.