Cinca River PBDEs

The first contaminated area, along the Cinca River and downstream of Monzon, reveals the covariant nature of PBDE and HBCD concentrations in the fish examined here. The amount of each contaminant is highly correlated within each fish. A likely explanation of this correlation is that the contaminants are being acquired from the same source (Cinca River). Moreover, PBDEs and HBCD are bioavailable as indicated by large fish to sediment ratios. Some correlations were found between the concentration levels of BFRs and the length and weight of specimen fishes,... 

PBDEs were detected in all the sediment samples collected along the Cinca River, at concentrations ranging from 2 to 131ng/g dw (Table 7.2.2). HBCD was detected only in samples collected downstream of Monzon, with levels ranging between 90 and 1613 ng/g dw. In these samples, HBCD contamination was greater than that observed for PBDEs. Site C3 was found to be the most contaminated zone, followed by site C4 > site Cl = site C2. As expected, decabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE) and HBCD levels were greater near the site of industrial impact. 

Table 7.2.2 PBDE results for sediment samples (ng/g dw) and biota samples (ng/g ww) obtained for samples collected along the Cinca River...

Several AT studies [56, 57, 60, 61] have analysed PBDE and HBCD concentrations in fish (barbel, bleak and others) upstream and downstream of industrialised areas in the Ebro. These studies found high values of PBDE and HBCD in fish and sediment downstream of industrialised towns (e.g. Monzon, a heavily industrialised town draining into the river Cinca, and the Barbastro industrial site on the... 

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