Occurrence of Halogenated and Organophosphate Flame Retardants in Sediments and Eels (Anguilla anguilla) From Bizerte Lagoon, Tunisia

Abstract

Contamination by classic (polybromodiphenyl ethers, PBDEs) and emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) like pentabromobenzene (PBEB), hexabromobenzene (HBB), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and halogenated norbornenes (HNs), as well as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were investigated in sediment and eel (Anguilla Anguilla) samples from Bizerte Lagoon, northern Tunisia. For sediment samples, HFR levels ranged from 3.30 to 28.5 ng/g dry weight (dw), with a mean value of 10.6 ± 4.36 ng/g dw, while OPFR levels ranged between 9.77 and 164 ng/g dw, with a mean value of 53.6 ± 10.5 ng/g dw. As regards levels in fish, concentration of HFRs ranged between 4.72 and 151 ng/g lipid weight (lw) (mean value of 36.5 ± 28.5 ng/g lw), and OPFR levels ranged between 19.7 and 2,154 ng/g lw (mean value of 404 ± 367 ng/g lw). This is the first time that OPFR levels have been reporting in this area, being higher than those for HFRs. Statistical analysis of the relationship between OPFR and HFR concentrations in sediment and total organic carbon (TOC) was examined. Results suggested that OPFR levels were significantly correlated with TOC, whereas no correlation was found for HFRs and TOC. The health risk associated by the consumption of eel in Bizerte city was assessed and posed no threat to public health concerning PBDE and OPFR intakes.

Biomarkers responses and polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their methoxylated analogs measured in Sparus aurata from the Lagoon of Bizerte, Tunisia

“…Among the eight detected congeners, the BDE-47 was the predominant congener in all analyzed samples. This finding matched the general pattern observed in other investigations and showing the dominance of the congener BDE-47 in fish samples (Labandeira et al 2007;Ben Ameur et al 2011Barhoumi et al 2014;Mekni et al 2020).…”

“…Many anthropogenic activities are installed on coastal areas of the Bizerte Lagoon such as industrial activities and urbanization. Consequently, the runoff and the discharges of industrial and urban wastes both direct and indirect result in the lagoon contamination by several toxic pollutants, namely organo-chlorinated pesticides (Ben Mhadhbi et al 2019), heavy metals (Yoshida et al 2004), halogenated aromatics compounds (e.g., PCBs) (Ben , polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Trabelsi and Driss 2005), organotins (Abidli et al 2011), and organophosphate flame retardants (Mekni et al 2020).…”

Review of the Situation of Tunisian Lagoon of Bizerta Using Marine Spatial Planning as a Key to Sustainable Blue Growth

“…The watersheds fl owing into the lagoon are aff ected by several anthropogenic pressures resulting from industrial, urbanization and agricultural activities (metallurgical industry, cement works, tire factory pollution, etc.) [14,15]. The industrial pollution is resulting from hy-drocarbons and heavy metals [12,[16][17][18][19] which come from about 400 industrial units which were created as early as the 1950s on the shores of Bizerta lagoon.…”

Editorial: Environment and Health

“…from a highly contaminated site in southern Italy, and offer new approaches to estimate cancer and non-cancer human health risk due to dermal absorption from contaminated seawater and/ or ingestion of contaminated fish. Mekni et al (2020) examined a mixture of legacy (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and emerging contaminants, such as halogenated (norbornenes (HNs)) and organophosphate (OPFRs) flame retardants, in sediments and samples of eel (Anguilla anguilla) from the Tunisian Bizerte Lagoon. Chemical behavior at the environmental interfaces has been explored and health risk associated to the consumption of eel has been estimated, offering original methodological approaches to evaluate impacts by new classes of pollutants in the marine environment.…”