Hexabromocyclododecanes in limnic and marine organisms and terrestrial plants from Tianjin, China: Diastereomer- and enantiomer-specific profiles, biomagnification, and human exposure

• This is the first time to report HBCD levels in field plants in the world.
• The bioaccumulation of HBCDs was compared between marine and limnic food webs.
• Plant leaves had high content of HBCD which may come from the ambient air.
• EDIs of HBCDs by Tianjin population were greater from fish than those from wheat.
• Plant selectivity for HBCD enantiomers varied with species and plant organs.

To interpret the distribution of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in various organisms, we measured the concentrations and diastereomer and enantiomer profiles of HBCDs in 21 different species of limnic and marine cohorts from Tianjin, China. The concentration ranges of HBCDs in limnic and marine organisms were 64.3–1111 ng g−1 lw and 85.5–989 ng g−1 lw, respectively. Living habitat and feeding habits had important impacts on HBCD diastereomer distribution. Most of the species appeared to preferentially select (+)-α-, (−)-β- and (−)-γ-HBCD. There is a tendency that the total and α-HBCDs were magnified as trophic level increased with trophic magnification factors (TMFs) around 2. The concentrations of HBCDs in the limnic and marine fishes were highest in the liver, followed by the gill, skin, and muscle. In terrestrial plants, the highest concentrations of HBCDs were observed in the leaf, followed by the root and the rhizosphere soil. Plants showed enantioselectivity for HBCD enantiomers, which varied with plant species and organs (leaf vs. root) of the same plant. Higher estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of HBCDs were observed from fish than from wheat.