Interim report of the HELCOM CORESET project

Preferred matrix
Sediment and biota are preferred. The measured data on HBCD concentration in Baltic Sea water is very
scarce and the detection limit has been too high to draw any conclusions (HELCOM 2010).
Monitoring the compound
Status of monitoring network (geographical and temporal coverage)
Table 3.5. Monitoring of HBCD in the Baltic Sea.
HBCD Sediment Biota Water
profi le surface frequency species organ stations frequency stations frequency
(y)
(y)
(y)
Denmark
Germany
screening screening
Poland
Russia
3 fi sh in
project
(muscle) (2) (2 proj)
Sweden SGU? herring muscle 6+2 1
cod liver 2 1
guillemot egg 1 1
Finland >5 (pike) (muscle) (3) project
(2 screen) >5
Estonia (herring + (muscle) (5)
perch)
project (5 proj)
Lithuania (herring + (muscle) (2)
fl ounder)
project 1 1
Latvia (herring + (muscle) (2)
perch)
project (2 proj)
Gaps in the monitoring of the compound
Only Sweden has permanent monitoring presently. Denamrk includes HBCD in 2011 in monitoring. Germany
does not monitor HBCD in biota, but water monitoring in under development and sediment monitoring
in a planning phase. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Denmark have screening data. No
information from Russia.
Present status assessments
Known temporal trends (also from sediment core profi les)
HBCD is found to be widespread in the global environment, with elevated levels in top predators in the
Arctic. In biota, HBCD has been found to bioconcentrate, bioaccumulate and to biomagnify at higher
trophic levels.
Swedish trend studies show an increase of HBCD in the guillemot eggs until recent years. Its increased
presence in the environment is likely attributable to the increased global demand. The general trend is to
higher environmental HBCD levels near point sources and urban areas (waste disposal sites including those
whose processes include either recycling, landfi lling or incineration).
The Swedish results show that HBCD levels in Baltic Sea fi sh are generally low and always lower than the
estimated PNEC level. (Also the levels in the sediments of the Swedish coastal area are very low compared
to the estimated PNEC level (170 μg/kg dw)).
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