Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) concentrations in herring muscle and Guillemot egg

	Anders Bignert, Elisabeth Nyberg, Sara Danielsson Contaminant Research Group, Swedish Museum of Natural History

Key message

The concentration of HBCD in Guillemot egg show a significant increase of about 3% per year. No trend can be seen for HBCD in herring muscle during the monitored time period, 1999-2005.

Figure 1. Spatial variation in mean concentration (ng/g lipid weight) of HBCD in herring muscle (2003-2005). The highest concentration (around 18 ng/g ) was found in the southern part of Baltic Proper (Utlängan), the lowest (around 5 ng/g) in Skagerrakk (Väderöarna). Data originates from the Swedish national monitoring programme and are analysed at the Department of Applied Environmental Science, University of Stockholm.

Results and assessments

Relevance of the indicator for describing developments in the environment

Analyses of contaminants in biotic samples, in contrast to abiotic matrices, exhibit the bioavaliable part of the contaminants. The lipid content of both herring muscle tissue and guillemot eggs is high, about 2-4% and 11-13% respectively, and thus very appropriate for analysis of fat-soluble contaminants as HBCD. Herring are commonly used for human consumption.

Policy relevance and policy references

At this time a risk assessment of HBCD is performed within the EU’s programme for existing substances and will be reported to ECB in the beginning of October 2007. The outcome of the EU’s risk management strategies for HBCD, following the risk assessment will possibly call for future regulation. 

HBCD is only produced at one industrial unit within the EU. The Swedish import of HBCD has decreased from about 120 to 3.5 tonnes per year during the time period 1997-2004.

Assessment

The concentrations of HBCD in Guillemot eggs show a significant increase of about 3% per year whereas no trend can be seen for HBCD in herring muscle during the monitored time period, 1999-2005. The map indicates elevated concentrations in the Baltic Proper compared to the Gulf of Bothnia and the Swedish west coast. The between-year variation from the sampling site in the southern Baltic Proper is however large. 

Figure 2. Temporal trends of HBCD concentration (ng/g lipid weight) in herring muscle from four different sampling sites in the Baltic Sea (1999-2005). ). Harufjärden (Bothnian Bay), Ängskärsklubb (S. Bothnia Sea), Landsort (N. Baltic Proper), Utlängan (S. Baltic Proper).

Figure 3. Temporal trends of HBCD concentration (ng/g lipid weight) in guillemot egg (1969-2005).

References

Bignert, A., Nyberg E., Asplund L., Eriksson U., Wilander A. Haglund P. 2007. Comments Concerning the National Swedish Contaminant Monitoring Programme in Marine Biota. Report to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2007. 128 pp.

KemI (2006). Hexabromcyklododekan (HBCDD) och tetrabrombisfenol - A (TBBPA). Rapport 3/06.

Data

Estimated geometric mean concentrations of HBCD (ng/g lipid weight) for the last sampled year in various matrices and sites during the investigated time period. The trend is reported, if p<0.1. The age interval for fish are also presented together with the total number of analyses and the number of years of the various time-series.

Metadata

Technical information

Data source: The National Swedish Monitoring Program of Contaminants in Biota

Sampling, sample preparation, storage in specimen bank and evaluation of results are carried out by the Department of Contaminant Research at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm. Chemical Analysis is carried out at Institute of Applied Environmental Research at Stockholm University.

Geographical coverage: see data table and map.

Temporal coverage: see data table and figures.

Methodology and frequency of data collection, see Bignert et al, 2007

Methodology of data manipulation. For a detailed description of statistical methods use, see Bignert et al. 2007.

The number of years required to detect an annual change of 5% with a power of 80% varied between 11 to 26 years for the herring time-series. The number of years required to detect an annual change of 5% was 18 years for the whole guillemot egg time-series and 11 years for the last ten years.

For reference purposes, please cite this indicator fact sheet as follows:

[Author’s name(s)], [Year]. [Indicator Fact Sheet title]. HELCOM Indicator Fact Sheets 2007. Online. [Date Viewed], http://www.helcom.fi/environment2/ifs/en_GB/cover/.

Last updated: 27.9.2007