Abstract
A growing body of evidence for chemical contamination in seafood has raised concerns about the safety of seafood consumption. Available data also indicate that some fishery stocks that are overharvested are also the most laden with certain contaminants. Flame retardant chemicals, used in textiles, plastics, and other products are a class of these seafood contaminants that are particularly concerning as they are linked to cancer and endocrine disruption. To investigate the potentially useful relationship between fishery sustainability and flame retardant concentration in seafood, we used polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as a case study to assess how fishery status and species vulnerability coincide with levels of brominated flame retardants found in the tissue of popularly consumed fish. While none of our metrics of sustainability showed strong relationships to PBDE contamination rates, our results suggest that the same intrinsic biological and ecological traits, which facilitate the uptake of chemicals, also contribute to how species respond to fishing pressures. Given the dual challenges of ensuring seafood sustainability and protecting human health, we then explored the implications of bundling the public good of conservation with the private good of health.
Highlights
Historic management of economically and ecologically valuable species has placed many fisheries around the world in danger of decline or collapse
Our analyses suggest a complex relationship between polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) concentrations and seafood sustainability
None of the four measures of sustainability showed strong relationships to PBDE contamination rates found in seafood sampled between 2002 and 2013 (Table 2)
Summary
Historic management of economically and ecologically valuable species has placed many fisheries around the world in danger of decline or collapse. PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are a class of commonly used brominated flame retardant which, like mercury, biomagnify in the food chain. Concentrations of such substances amplify as they are passed up the food chain. When PBDE does metabolize in the environment, the molecule can break down into new brominated compounds, such as hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ether (OH-PBDE) or methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ether (MeO-PBDE). Certain congeners of PBDEs have been banned by the European Union
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.