Expanded polystyrene buoy as a moving source of toxic chemicals to marine life: Enrichment of hexabromocyclododecanes in mussel

Abstract

A large amount of expanded polystyrene (EPS) buoys have been used in aquaculture of oyster and mussels inSouth Korea. After their use, a lots of EPS buoys may be lost or disposed as waste. Floating EPS buoy as marinedebris has become a habitat for marine organisms. In our previous study, we detected a considerable amount ofhexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in EPS buoy with a median concentration 40 μg/g. To find an evidence of itsimpact on marine organism via release from floating marine debris, EPS buoy along with attached mussels werecollected from Jinhae Bay, Korea. Collected samples were categorized as follows EPS buoy, mussel attached toits EPS buoy, mussels attached to high density polyethylene (HDPE) and metal buoys, mussel attached to naturalrock. The HBCD concentration analyzed among EPS buoys showed a large variation in the range of 0.15-1,580μg/g dw (median 16.7). The median concentrations of HBCD in mussels attached onto EPS buoy, HDPE buoy,metal buoy and natural rock were 111, 61, 62 and 16 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Mussel inhabiting EPS buoyhad significantly higher concentration of HBCDs than those from other substrates. These results revealed that EPSbuoy has a direct effect to mussel attached to it. There were clear changes observed in α/γ ratios of HBCDs inmussels according to the type of their substrates. These results strongly imply that plastic marine debris can habitat for marine organisms. In our previous study, we detected a considerable amount ofhexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in EPS buoy with a median concentration 40 μg/g. To find an evidence of itsimpact on marine organism via release from floating marine debris, EPS buoy along with attached mussels werecollected from Jinhae Bay, Korea. Collected samples were categorized as follows EPS buoy, mussel attached toits EPS buoy, mussels attached to high density polyethylene (HDPE) and metal buoys, mussel attached to naturalrock. The HBCD concentration analyzed among EPS buoys showed a large variation in the range of 0.15-1,580μg/g dw (median 16.7). The median concentrations of HBCD in mussels attached onto EPS buoy, HDPE buoy,metal buoy and natural rock were 111, 61, 62 and 16 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Mussel inhabiting EPS buoyhad significantly higher concentration of HBCDs than those from other substrates. These results revealed that EPSbuoy has a direct effect to mussel attached to it. There were clear changes observed in α/γ ratios of HBCDs inmussels according to the type of their substrates. These results strongly imply that plastic marine debris can