Bioaccumulation characteristics of PBDEs and alternative brominated flame retardants in a wild frog-eating snake

Abstract While a large body of studies have examined polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative brominated flame retardants (ABFRs) in wildlife, information on the bioaccumulation of these contaminants in reptiles in general, and snakes in particular, are scarce. We investigated the bioaccumulation characteristics of PBDEs and several ABFRs including decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), hexabromobenzene (HBB) and pentabromotoluene (PBT) in a frog-eating snake, the striped keelback snake (Amphiesma stolata), from an e-waste recycling site in South China. The concentrations of ∑PBDEs and ∑ABFRs in the snakes ranged 53–5200 and 3.1–87 ng/g lipid weight, respectively; with higher levels in males than females. Additionally, the concentrations of BDE-28, -47, and −66 were positively correlated with snake size (snout-vent length and body mass), while negative correlations were found for most of the higher brominated PBDE congeners and HBB, PBT and BTBPE. The biomagnification factors (BMFs) estimated in the snake/frog relationship indicated a mild to moderate biomagnification of BDE-28, -47, −66, −100, −153 and −154 (with mean BMFs of 1.1–5.3), while a lack of magnification for the other PBDE congeners and all the ABFRs. This is the first report on the sex- and size-related accumulation and biomagnification potentials of PBDEs and ABFRs in snakes.