"Determination of Hexabromocyclododecane in Chesapeake Bay Fish"

Commercial hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a brominated flame retardant (BFR) commonly used in polystyrene foams. 1,2,5,6,9,10-HBCD is synthesized using a process that produces a raecemic mixture of three diastereomers: a-, ß-, and ?-. This study employs liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to detect and quantify the three enantiomers of HBCD in fish collected from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Twenty two samples of various fish species were analyzed. Total HBCD concentration ranged from not being detected (nd) to 0.3411 ng g-1 (wet weight; w/w). Isomer specific concentrations ranged from nd to 0.2950, 0.0347, and 1.7900 ng g-1 for a-, ß-, and ?-, respectively. The highest total HBCD concentration number was found in a sample of white perch (Morone americanus) caught in the Upper Magothy River. Though the literature suggests that the a- isomer should exist at a higher concentration in fish samples, this study found that no one isomer was consistently higher than the others. The only sample with detected ß- concentrations was a striped bass (Morone saxatilis) sample from the Chesapeake Bay, North of Swan Point.