PBDEs, hydroxylated PBDEs and methoxylated PBDEs in bivalves from Beijing markets

• Presence of polybrominated compounds in bivalves from Beijing markets was studied.
• Levels of PBDEs in this study were higher than those in Baltic blue mussels.
• Levels of OH- and MeO-PBDEs in this study were lower than in Baltic blue mussels.
• Polybrominated compounds showed significant seasonal variations in blue mussels.
• Acidic components displayed different seasonal variations from neutral components.

The structural analogues of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hydroxylated PBDEs (OH-PBDEs) and methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs) have been attracting increasing concern in recent years. Five bivalve species (blue mussel, short-necked clam, surf clam, ark shell and razor clam) were collected from Beijing markets, and the concentrations of seven PBDEs, four OH-PBDEs and fourteen MeO-PBDEs in the bivalves were measured. The seasonal variations of these three types of polybrominated compound in blue mussels were also monitored. The results indicate that the levels of ΣPBDEs in this study were comparable to those in short-necked clams from Liaodong Bay, China, with BDE47 as the dominant congener. For the ortho-MeO-PBDEs, 6-MeO-BDE47 was found at higher concentrations than the others, while for the meta- and para-MeO-PBDEs, 4′-MeO-BDE17 was found at higher concentrations. 6-OH-BDE-47 was the most abundant congener among the 4 measured OH-PBDEs, followed by 6-OH-BDE-137 and 6-OH-BDE-85. The levels of OH-PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs in bivalves from Beijing markets were much lower than the corresponding compounds in blue mussels from the Baltic Sea. In the blue mussels collected in April, June and September of 2012, apparent seasonal variations were observed for these three types of polybrominated compounds, but the acidic components displayed different trends from the neutral components, with PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs showing the highest concentrations in June, while OH-PBDEs had the lowest concentrations in June. This difference in seasonal variations between the neutral components and the acidic components may be explained by their different sources and transformation/elimination mechanisms.