Chlorinated flame retardants, particularly dechlorane plus (DP), were widely used in commercial applications and are ubiquitous in the environment. A total of seven species of aquatic organisms were collected concurrently from the region of a chemical production facility in Huai’an, China. DP and structurally related compounds including mirex, dechloranes 602, 603, 604, chlordene plus (CP), DP monoadduct (DPMA), and two dechlorinated breakdown products of DP, decachloropentacyclooctadecadiene (anti-Cl10-DP) and undecachloropentacyclooctadecadiene (anti-Cl11-DP), were detected in these aquatic organisms. Nitrogen stable isotope ratios were also measured to determine the trophic levels of the organisms. Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) for these chemicals were calculated with values ranging from 1.0 to 3.1. TMFs for CP, mirex, anti-DP, and ∑DP were statistically greater than 1, showing evidence of biomagnification in the food web. Concentration ratios of anti-Cl11-DP to anti-DP showed a significant relationship with trophic level, implying that anti-Cl11-DP had a higher food-web magnification potential than its precursor. The biota-sediment accumulation factors and TMFs for DP demonstrated stereoselectivity, with syn-DP having a greater bioaccumulation potential than anti-DP in the aquatic environment.

Contaminants of emerging concern present in domestic waste streams include a highly diverse group of potentially biologically active compounds that can be detected at trace levels in wastewater. Concerns about potential uptake into crops arise when reclaimed water is used in food crop production. The present study investigated how 9 contaminants of emerging concern in reclaimed water are taken up into edible portions of two food crops. Two flame retardant chemicals, tris(1‐chloro‐2‐propyl) phosphate (TCPP) and tris(2‐chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and several polar pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim) accumulated in a linear, concentration‐dependent manner in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) irrigated with reclaimed water, suggesting passive uptake of both neutral and ionizable chemical contaminants in lettuce. Furthermore, concentration‐dependent accumulation of TCEP and TCPP from reclaimed water was also observed in strawberry fruits (Fragaria ananassa). Collectively, these data suggest that highly polar or charged contaminants can be taken up by crops from water bearing contaminants of emerging concern and can be accumulated in the edible portions. Using these data, however, estimates of human exposure to these contaminants from reclaimed water food crop accumulation suggest that exposure to the contaminants of emerging concern examined in the present study is likely substantially lower than current exposure guidelines. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2213–2221. © 2015 SETAC

Aquaculture, which is growing 3–5 times faster than terrestrial agriculture, will play an important role to meet future global food production needs. However, over 80% of global sewage production is returned to the environment untreated or poorly treated. In developing nations, these nontraditional waters of diverse quality are being recycled for aquaculture, yet chemical residues are differentially studied. Here, we examined pharmaceuticals, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and flame retardants in marine bivalves using isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and low-pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LP GC-MS/MS). Green-lipped mussels from the field and oysters from aquaculture net pens, which are harvested as food products, were collected adjacent to point source municipal wastewater and landfill leachate effluent discharges, respectively, in Hong Kong, the fourth most densely populated country in the world. Multiple classes of pharmaceutical, pesticides, PAHs, and phosphorus-based flame retardants were detected at low μg/kg levels. Acceptable servings per week indicated minimal risk for a number of chemicals; however, such calculations could not be performed for other contaminants of emerging concern. Future efforts are needed to better understand contaminant influences on marine bivalve populations and aquaculture product safety, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions of developing countries with limited wastewater infrastructure.

In this study, surface seawater, sediment and zooplankton samples were collected from three different sampling stations in Marseille Bay (NW Mediterranean Sea) and were analyzed for both microplastics and organic plastic additives including seven phthalates (PAEs) and nine organophosphate esters (OPEs). PAE concentrations ranged from 100 to 527 ng L⁻¹ (mean 191 ± 123 ng L⁻¹) in seawater, 12–610 ng g⁻¹ dw (mean 194 ± 193 ng g⁻¹ dw) in sediment and 0.9–47 μg g⁻¹ dw (mean 7.2 ± 10 μg g⁻¹ dw) in zooplankton, whereas OPE concentrations varied between 9 and 1013 ng L⁻¹ (mean 243 ± 327 ng L⁻¹) in seawater, 13–49 ng g⁻¹ dw (mean 25 ± 11 ng g⁻¹ dw) in sediment and 0.4–4.6 μg g⁻¹ dw (mean 1.6 ± 1.0 μg g⁻¹ dw) in zooplankton. Microplastic counts in seawater ranged from 0 to 0.3 items m⁻³ (mean 0.05 ± 0.05 items m⁻³). We observed high fluctuations in contaminant concentrations in zooplankton between different sampling events. However, the smallest zooplankton size class generally exhibited the highest PAE and OPE concentrations. Field-derived bioconcentration factors (BCFs) showed that certain compounds are prone to bioaccumulate in zooplankton, including some of the most widely used chlorinated OPEs, but with different intensity depending on the zooplankton size-class. The concentration of plastic additives in surface waters and the abundance of microplastic particles were not correlated, implying that they are not necessarily good indicators for each other in this compartment. This is the first comprehensive study on the occurrence and temporal variability of PAEs and OPEs in the coastal Mediterranean based on the parallel collection of water, sediment and differently sized zooplankton samples.

In this study, surface seawater, sediment and zooplankton samples were collected from three different sampling stations in Marseille Bay (NW Mediterranean Sea) and were analyzed for both microplastics and organic plastic additives including seven phthalates (PAEs) and nine organophosphate esters (OPEs). PAE concentrations ranged from 100 to 527 ng L-1 (mean 191±123 ng L-1) in seawater, 12 to 610 ng g-1 dw (mean 194±193 ng g-1 dw) in sediment and 0.9 to 47 μg g-1 dw (mean 7.2±10 μg g-1 dw) in zooplankton, whereas OPE concentrations varied between 9-1013 ng L-1 (mean 243±327 ng L-1) in seawater, 13-49 ng g-1 dw (mean 25±11 ng g-1 dw) in sediment and 0.4-4.6 μg g-1 dw (mean 1.6±1.0 μg g-1 dw) in zooplankton. Microplastic counts in seawater ranged from 0 to 0.3 items m-3 (mean 0.05±0.05 items m-3). We observed high fluctuations in contaminant concentrations in zooplankton between different sampling events. However, the smallest zooplankton size class generally exhibited the highest PAE and OPE concentrations. Field-derived bioconcentration factors (BCFs) showed that certain compounds are prone to bioaccumulate in zooplankton, including some of the most widely used chlorinated OPEs, but with different intensity depending on the zooplankton size-class. The concentration of plastic additives in surface waters and the abundance of microplastic particles were not correlated, implying that they are not necessarily good indicators for each other in this compartment. This is the first comprehensive study on the occurrence and temporal variability of PAEs and OPEs in the coastal Mediterranean based on the parallel collection of water, sediment and differently sized zooplankton samples.