Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in 182 sediments from the Huron-Erie Corridor, North America. The median (5-95 percentile) Corridor ∑PBDE concentration was 1.03 ng/g dry wt (0.25-13.48 ng/g dry wt). Dry weight ∑PBDEs were elevated in U.S. waters of the Detroit River (US DR) and lowest in Canadian waters of Lake St. Clair (CA LSC). Sediment total organic carbon (TOC) explained some of the variation in ∑PBDEs, particularly in upstream waterbodies except for the Detroit River where local sources were apparent in the US DR and TOC-dilution occurred in CA DR. Canadian Federal Sediment Quality guidelines were exceeded at 19 stations, 14 occurring in the US DR. ∑Hazard Quotients (∑HQ) had a median (5-95 percentile) Corridor value of 0.46 (ND to 2.27). By strata, 43.2% of US DR stations had ∑HQ's greater than 1 while 21.3% of US SCR stations exceeded a value of 1.
Keywords: Brominated flame retardants; Contaminated sediments; Great Lakes; Persistent organic pollutants.