The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50401

Robert C. Hale, PhD, Department of Environmental Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary, Chesapeake Bay Hall, S310, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, (804) 684-7228, hale@vims.edu

Five tetra- to hexabrominated diphenyl ether congeners are the most frequently reported in wildlife and humans. The commercial penta-BDE product, used predominantly to flame-retard polyurethane foam, consists primarily of these same congeners. In 1998, North American demand accounted for 98% of the total global penta- market of 8500 metric tons. This presentation will examine the sources and environmental fate of these compounds, their availability to aquatic organisms, and implications for fish contamination in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.

Learning Objectives: Participants will learn

• Sources and environmental fate of PBDEs in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., including the potential role of fire retardant-treated polyurethane foam as a source; and
• Levels of contamination observed in fish in two large Virginia watersheds.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.