Brominated organic contaminants in the liver and egg of the common cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) from Japan

The contamination profiles of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), biphenyls (PBBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs), and dibenzofurans (PBDFs) were determined in the liver and egg of common cormorants from Japan. PBDEs and PBBs were detected in all the samples; especially the former were detected at elevated levels. PBDDs/PBDFs were also detected in cormorants, albeit the concentrations were lower than those of the PBBs. The total concentration of PBDEs ranged from 330 to 2600 in the liver and from 600 to 3300 in the egg on a nanogram per gram of lipid basis. The concentration of PBBs was in the range from 3.0 to 33 (in the liver) and from 3.4 to 82 (in the egg) on a nanogram per gram of lipid basis. The 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153) was the most predominant PBB congener in either organ, which corresponds to a major constituent of the BFR FireMaster BP-6. Concentrations of PBDDs/PBDFs in the liver (range from 21 to 470) were slightly higher than in the egg (range from 31 to 160) on a picogram per gram of lipid basis. The results of this study imply that common cormorants accumulate a high level of PBDEs and PBBs. Comparing the concentrations of brominated organic compounds with those of chlorinated analogues, good relevance between PBBs and coplanar PCBs (r(2) = 0.746 [liver] and 0.715 [egg]) was elucidated. To our knowledge, the present study demonstrates the first report of PBDEs, PBBs, and PBDDs/PBDFs in the common cormorant from Japan.