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Levels and trends of brominated diphenyl ethers in blubber of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the U.K., 1992-2008.

Robin J RJ Law, Jon J Barry, Philippe P Bersuder, Jonathan L JL Barber, Rob R Deaville, Robert J RJ Reid, and Paul D PD Jepson

Environ Sci Technol 44(12):4447-51 (2010) PMID 20481552

Controls were placed on the production and use of the penta-mix polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) formulation within the European Union in 2004. In porpoises stranded or bycaught around the U.K., BDE congeners from this product predominate. Lipid-normalized concentrations of 9 (summed) BDE congeners in the blubber of 415 porpoises sampled during the period 1992-2008 have been investigated for possible time trends resulting from the regulatory action. Our analysis suggests that, overall, median Sigma9BDE concentrations peaked around 1998 and have since reduced by between 53.8% and 73.5% to 2008. Our best point estimate is that the reduction has been 67.6%. This decline was highly statistically significant (p 0.001) and was not confounded by a range of other factors which were also considered (area, season, nutritional status, bycaught/stranded, and age class).

DOI: 10.1021/es100140q
Version: za2963e q8za6 q8zb3 q8zc1 q8zd1 q8ze5 q8zf9 q8zg3

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