M8 PM Chiral Chemistry: Toxicology of Environmental Contaminants and Phase Transfer
Monday, 14 November 2005: 1:50 PM - 5:30 PM in 337-338

(LAR-1117-855309) Enatiomeric Concentrations of Hexabromocyclododecane in Chesapeake Bay Fish.

Larsen, R¹, Peck, A², Liebert, D², Richardson, K³, Davis, E¹, ¹ St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, MD, USA² Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charlestown, SC, USA³ Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, MD, USA

ABSTRACT- Commercial hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a brominated flame retardant synthesized using a process that produces a racemic mixture of alpha, beta, and gamma diastereomers. This study exams the interspecies concentration, distribution and enantiomeric composition of the three stereoisomers. Fifty species-specific composites samples were made from 211 individual fish collected in the Chesapeake Bay and its' tributaries. The composite samples were soxhlet extracted and quantified for HBCDs on a chiral column equipped LC/MS/MS. Species analyzed included catfish, perch, bass, sunfish, eel, bluegill, trout, bullhead, and white sucker. These samples represent a variety of benthic and pelagic organisms, as well as trophic levels. Lipid normalized concentrations of HBCDs ranged from 10 to 410 ng g^-1 for channel catfish, ND-300 ng g^-1 for striped bass, and 6-110 ng g^-1 for white perch. The magnitude of the HBCDs concentrations in channel catfish is linearly proportional (r²=0.78) to the alpha:gamma ratio, which implies differences in the bioaccumulative properties of the two steroisomers. This study provides some of the first evidence of HBCD contamination in U.S. and specifically Chesapeake Bay fisheries.

Key words: hexabromocyclododecane, chesapeake bay, fish tissue