Occurrence, bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of organophosphate esters in marine food webs: Evidence from three bays in Bohai Sea, China

Due to the widespread use of organophosphate esters (OPEs), the occurrence and trophic transfer of OPEs have attracted attentions in ecosystems. However, as the final sink for these chemicals, the bioaccumulations and trophodynamics of OPEs in marine ecosystems are still not clear. In this study, seawater, sediment and marine organ-isms collected from Bohai Bay (BHB), Laizhou Bay (LZB), and Liaodong Bay (LDB) in Bohai Sea (BS), China were an-alyzed to investigate the occurrence, bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of typical OPEs. Total concentration of OPEs ( n-ary sumation 9 OPEs) in surface water in LZB (255.8 +/- 36.44 ng/L) and BHB (209.6 +/- 35.61 ng/L) was higher than that in LDB (170.0 +/- 63.73 ng/L). Marine organisms in LZB accumulated the highest concentrations of OPEs among the 3 bays ( n-ary sumation 10OPEs, 70.56 +/- 61.36 ng/g ww). Average bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of OPEs in marine organism in BHB, LZB, and LDB was ranged from -2.48 to 0.16, from -2.96 to 1.78, and from -2.59 to 0.59. We also found that trophic magnification factors (TMF) are generally <1, which suggested trophic dilutions of OPEs in BS, China. Nevertheless, the relatively high OPEs levels in BS still may bring potential risks to ecosystem and human health.

Automated summary

This study investigated the occurrence, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer of typical organophosphate esters (OPEs) in seawater, sediment, and marine organisms collected from Bohai Bay, Laizhou Bay, and Liaodong Bay in the Bohai Sea, China. The results showed higher concentrations of OPEs in surface water of Laizhou Bay and Bohai Bay compared to Liaodong Bay. Among the three bays, marine organisms in Laizhou Bay accumulated the highest concentrations of OPEs. The bioaccumulation factor of OPEs in marine organisms ranged from -2.48 to 1.78, indicating trophic dilutions of OPEs in the Bohai Sea.