Temporal development of brominated flame retardants in peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) eggs from South Greenland (1986-2003)

A time trend between 1986 and 2003 was found for brominated flame retardants in peregrine falcon eggs from South Greenland, with significantly increasing concentrations of the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) 99, 100, 153, 154, and 209. For BDE-99 and -100, the concentration increased approximately 10% per year. The concentrations of PBDEs were among the highest detected in wildlife so far and ranged from 300 to 12 900 ng/g lipid weight (lw) for Sigma PBDE. While tetra bromobisphenol A (TBBPA) was below the limit of detection in all eggs, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), dimethyl-TBBPA, and brominated biphenyl BB-153 were detected in a majority of eggs, with median concentrations of 2.4, 230, and 550 ng/g lw, respectively. Analyses of eggs of the same bird showed no significant intra-clutch variation for PBDEs, 1313-153, and HBCD but larger variations for dimethyl-TBBPA. Inter-clutch variations with increasing time trends exist for the BDEs 99, 100, 153, 154, and 209, while a decreasing contamination with the BDEs 183, 49, 47, 66 and 153 was indicated in a subset of eggs.