Water-column concentrations and partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the New York/New Jersey Harbor, USA

Despite the emerging concern regarding polybrominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), very few measurements of BDE concentrations in ambient water have been published. In the present study, BDEs were measured in water samples from the New York/New Jersey Harbor (USA). Samples were taken in Raritan Bay west of Sandy Hook during four intensive sampling campaigns in 2000 and 2001. Congeners 17, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, and 209 were detected. Total BDE ∑BDE) concentrations (average ± standard deviation) were 175 ± 75 ng/g in the particle phase and 110 ± 72 pg/L in the apparent dissolved phase. The decacongener, BDE 209, constituted 85 and 9% of ∑BDEs in the particle and apparent dissolved phases, respectively. The ∑BDE levels are significantly higher than those measured in Lake Ontario, USA, and in The Netherlands, but they are similar to concentrations measured in Lake Michigan and San Francisco Bay (both USA). Calculated values of the organic carbon-water partition coefficient (K_OC) were strongly correlated with literature values of the octanol-water partition coefficient (K_ow). The data suggest that sorption of BDEs to colloids is important in this system, although quantifying the extent of colloid sorption is difficult.