Hexabromocyclododecane in edible aquatic products in Guangzhou, China: Levels, compositions, human dietary exposure and health risk assessment

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is widely found in nature and accumulates in living organisms. To investigate the characteristics of ∑HBCD in aquatic products in Guangzhou, China, a total of 319 aquatic products were collected, the concentrations of ∑HBCD in their bodies were analyzed, and estimated daily intake (EDI) and hazard index (HI) were evaluated. The median concentrations of ∑HBCD in Grass carp (2.00 ng/g lw (lipid weight)), Crucian carp (2.34 ng/g lw), Tilapia (1.57 ng/g lw), Japanese sea perch (2.27 ng/g lw), Crab (4.14 ng/g lw), Undulating Venus (6.98 ng/g lw), Roche Spermatogenesis (1.74 ng/g lw) were in medium levels compare with other researches. A significant positive correlation was observed between ∑HBCD concentrations and lipid content of aquatic organisms, and α-HBCD is the main isomer in organisms. The highest concentration of ∑HBCD were found in samples collected in Huangpu district, which was related to a large number of industrial parks gathered in the administrative region. The EDI of HBCD in aquatic products (0.23–1.65 ng/kg bw*d⁻¹) were at a medium level. The HI of HBCDs in aquatic products in Guangzhou was less than 1, indicating that it poses no threat to human health.