1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a widely used flame retardant, is an ubiquitous contaminant in
the environment. Still, only little is known about the distribution and behavior in the environment such as
bioaccumulation or biotransformation of HBCD stereoisomers. In order to investigate enrichment and possible
bioisomerization of HBCD stereoisomers, Mirror Carps were exposed to pure (+)- and (-)-γ-HBCD, randomly
sampled after a predefined specific period and subjected to enantiomer-specific determination of α-, β-, and γ-
HBCD. No evidence for the isomerization of HBCD stereoisomers was observed in Mirror Carp fillets.
Time courses of HBCD levels and enantiomeric signatures in herring gull eggs from the German coast
(2010)
HBCD stereoisomer pattern in mirror carps following dietary exposure to pure Gamma-HBCD enantiomers
(2010)
Levels of α-, β-, and γ-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) were determined in pooled eggs from herring gulls (Larus argentatus) sampled on three bird sanctuaries near the German North Sea coast between 1988 and 2008 (Mellum and Trischen) and the German Baltic Sea coast between 1998 and 2008 (Heuwiese) and archived by the German Environmental Specimen Bank. Pressurized fluid extraction, gel permeation chromatography, and LCMS/MS using 13C12-labelled isotope standards and a chiral column were applied. α-HBCD was the dominating diastereomer and ranged between 3.7 and 107 ng g-1 lw while β- and γ-HBCD were throughout close to LOQ. The highest α-HBCD concentration was found in eggs from Mellum sampled in the year 2000. Interestingly, HBCD in eggs from the three islands displayed similar time courses with levels increasing to a peak contamination around 2000 and decreasing levels ever since. Chiral signatures of α-HBCD in eggs differed among the islands but indicated a preferential enrichment of the first eluting enantiomer (-)-α-HBCD.