Metal concentrations in marine sediments from Lebanon

Nearshore shallow marine sediment was collected from fourteen points along the Lebanese coast and analyzed for heavy metals. The samples consisting of medium to fine sand (those from Khaldé, Rmeileh, and Sidon) had generally lower metal concentrations than those made up of very coarse to coarse sand (Tabarja, Beirut, Adloun), fine to very fine sand (Beirut), and very find sand to coarse silt (Nahr Ibrahim Village). The sediments which had the highest Pb, Zn, and Mn were from Beirut and Adloun. Those with the highest Fe concentrations came from Beirut and Nahr Ibrahim Village, and the highest Cu occurred in sediments collected from Beirut and Tabarja. The metal levels found do not seem to reflect abnormal contamination in the areas sampled. More extensive work is recommended.     

Toxicity survey of Canadian Arctic marine sediments

Purpose

This paper reports a toxicity survey of Canadian Arctic marine sediments. During the Amundsen scientific cruise, eight sites distributed across the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic regions were selected to highlight sensitive areas affected by either atmospheric deposition, ocean current, river drainage, or anthropogenic activities. As part of the Canadian-led ArcticNet research program, this study aims to monitor and to better understand potential changes likely to impact the Arctic.

Materials and methods

Surface sediments were investigated with bioanalytical tests to assess sediment toxicity. Testing of sediment elutriates was undertaken with the ARTOXKIT M, Microtox liquid phase (MLPA), and ROTOXKIT M toxicity assays, while whole sediment testing was carried out with the Microtox solid phase assay (MSPA) toxicity test procedure. Sediment mercury (Hg) content was also determined in each sample since Hg transport and toxicity is specifically an important issue in the Arctic and is generally a key indicator of the pollution status in many aquatic ecosystems.

Results and discussion

Based on bioassay results and sediment granulometric criteria, these Arctic sediments must be considered nontoxic. However, based on MSPA half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) and/or MLPA threshold effect concentration (TEC) values, some degree of toxicity may be measureable particularly in the sediments located in southern and northeast Hudson Bay. The Hudson Bay watershed drains 30% of Canadian rivers and extends to northern USA. Despite the large Hg concern in the Arctic, the input of local or long-range Hg sources does not appear to be a contributing factor to sediment toxicity.

Conclusions

These initial results are valuable in that they set baseline quality levels for these sediments as of 2005. As such, future comparisons can be made to assess temporal and spatial trends. Human activity and climate change is expected to impact these regions in the future, resulting in further reduction of sea ice extent, access to new Arctic seaways, and drilling associated with the exploitation of natural resources.     

The use of ecocores to evaluate biodegradation in marine sediments

A laboratory sediment microcosm called the ecocore is described. It has been used to test the biodegradability of substances which predominantly enter the sediment. A new method for introducing hydrophobic test substances such as hydrocarbons to the test system is also described. In a series of tests using ¹⁴C-labelled hydrocarbons, it has been demonstrated that evolved and trapped ¹⁴C0₂ in all probability reflects the rates of mineralization of the test substance. The fate of the substances within the test system has been described and the total recovery exceeds 80%. The system shows good biological stability in longterm experiments.     

Reactions of phosphorus with sediments in fresh and marine waters

Abstract. The interactions of P with soils and sediments are examined in the context of transport processes from land, through rivers to estuaries and coastal waters. In soil erosion, selective size fractionation and preferential sorption to finer solids is crucial in the transport of P to water courses. Problems in quantifying the sorption affinity and equilibrium phosphate concentration (EPC) of mixtures of different soils and sediments are identified. Riverine transport of P by suspended solids is usually very important and examples of the changes in the amount and composition of particulate P (PP) concentration during storm events are discussed. Increased P content of solids during the first autumn storms, probably reflect the resuspension of accumulated stream bed-deposits. The fate of P in estuaries and their importance as possible long-term sinks of P are discussed. The relatively high concentrations of dissolved P associated with riverine inputs are to some extent buffered by the relatively high concentrations of suspended sediments resulting from tidal flows. Phosphorus may be released during transport to the sea due to decreases in the EPC, increases in salinity and release from bottom sediments as a result of low oxygen conditions.     

Transport and adsorption of antibiotics by marine sediments in a dynamic environment

Background, aim, and scope  Bed sediments are the major sink for many contaminants in aquatic environments. With increasing knowledge of and research on the environmental occurrence of antibiotics, there has been growing interest in their behaviour and fate in aquatic environments. However, there is little information about the behaviour of antibiotics in a dynamic water/sediment environment, such as river and coastal marine water. Therefore, the aims of the present study were: (1) to study the transport and distribution of four common antibiotics between water and sediment in both dynamic and quiescent water/sediment systems and (2) to understand the persistence and possible degradation of the four antibiotics in the two different systems. Materials and methods  A lid-driven elongated annular flume, designed to reduce the centrifugal effect, was used to simulate a dynamic water environment. In addition, a quiescent water/sediment experiment was conducted for comparison with the dynamic water system. The seawater and sediment, used in both experiments of flowing and quiescent water/sediment systems, were collected from Victoria Harbour, a dynamic coastal environment in an urban setting. The four antibiotics selected in this study were ofloxacin (OFL), roxithromycin (RTM), erythromycin (ETM), and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), the most commonly used antibiotics in South China. Results and discussion  Antibiotics in an overlying solution decreased very quickly in the flume system due to the sorption to suspended particles and surface sediment. There were significant differences in the adsorption of the four antibiotics in sediment. OFL showed a high tendency to be adsorbed by sediment with a high K _d value (2980 L/Kg), while the low K _d values of SMZ indicated that there was a large quantity in water. The four antibiotics reached a depth of 20–30 mm in the sediment over a period of 60 days in the flume system. However, the compounds were only found in surface sediment (above 10 mm) in the quiescent system, indicating the influence of the dynamic flume system on the distribution of antibiotics in sediment. OFL showed a moderate persistence in the dynamic flume system, while other three antibiotics had less persistence in sediment. However, all of the four compounds showed moderate persistence in the quiescent system. Recommendations and perspectives  The study showed the rapid diffusive transfer of antibiotics from water to sediment in the dynamic flume system. The four antibiotics exhibited larger differences in their adsorption to sediment in both dynamic and quiescent systems due to their different K _d values. The high sorption of antibiotics to marine sediment may reduce their availability to benthic invertebrates.     

Fecal contamination of marine sediments in a stretch of the Gulf of Naples

In the summer of 1980, 78 sediment samples were collected in the gulf of Naples. Samples were analyzed for total and fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, sulfite reducer clostridia and total plate count. Over almost all of the area surveyed fecal pollution was widespread, but different indicators exhibited different distribution patterns. The presence of fecal streptococci was found prevalent with the respect to that of fecal coliforms.     

Predicting bioaccessibility of contaminants of emerging concern in marine sediments using chemical methods

Journal of Soils and Sediments - A comparison was made between three chemical methods to predict bioaccessibility of triclosan (TCS), bisphenol A (BPA), and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in...     

Chronic toxicity of unresolved complex mixtures (UCM) of hydrocarbons in marine sediments

Background, Aim and Scope  Unresolved complex mixtures (UCM) of hydrocarbons, containing many thousands of compounds which cannot be resolved by conventional gas chromatography (GC), are common contaminants of sediments but little is known of their potential to affect sediment-dwelling organisms. Evidence exists for reduced health status in mussels, arising from aqueous exposure to aromatic UCM components acting through a narcotic mode of action. However, UCM contaminants in sediments may not be sufficiently bioavailable to elicit toxic effects. The aim of our study was therefore to measure the sublethal effects of chronic exposure to model UCM-dominated oils at environmentally realistic concentrations and compare this to effects produced by a UCM containing weathered crude oil. A further aim was to determine which, if any, fractions of the oils were responsible for any observed toxicity. Materials and Methods  Whole oils were spiked into estuarine sediment to give nominal concentrations of 500 μg g⁻¹ dry weight. Juveniles of the estuarine amphipod Corophium volutator were exposed to the contaminated sediment for 35 days and their survival, growth rate and reproductive success quantified. Using an effect-directed fractionation approach, the oils were fractionated into aliphatic and two aromatic fractions by open column chromatography and their toxicity assessed by further chronic exposures using juvenile C. volutator. Results  The growth rates of amphipods were reduced following exposure to the oils although this was only statistically significant for the weathered oil; reproductive success was reduced by all oil exposures. Sediment spiked with UCM fractions also caused reduced growth and reproduction but no particular fraction was found to be responsible for the observed toxicity. Survivorship was not affected by any oil or fraction. Discussion  The study showed that chronic exposure to sediments contaminated by UCM-dominated oils could have population level effects on amphipods. The observed effects could not be explained by hydrocarbons resolved by conventional GC and effects were similar for both UCM-dominated and weathered oils. All of the fractions appeared to contribute to the observed effects; this is in contrast to previous research which had shown that an aliphatic UCM did not cause adverse effects in mussels. Conclusions  To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate population-level effects arising from exposure to sediments contaminated by realistic environmental concentrations of UCM hydrocarbons. The results are consistent with many compounds, at very low individual concentrations, contributing towards the overall observed toxicity. Recommendations  Risk assessments of contaminated sediments should take into account the contribution towards the potential for toxic effects from UCM hydrocarbons. Studies into sediment contamination should report both aliphatic and aromatic UCM concentrations to aid risk assessments. ESS-Submission Editor: Henner Hollert (hollert@uni-heidelberg.de) This paper has been developed from a presentation at SETAC Europe 16^th Annual Meeting 2006 held at the The Hague, The Netherlands.     

From waste to resource: mycoremediation of contaminated marine sediments in the SEDITERRA Project

Purpose

Port-dredging activities produce large volumes of contaminated sediments. Dredged sediments are considered a waste by national laws, but recently the desire to consider them a resource has become widespread and remedies for their contamination are being searched to allow their reuse. In this work, we studied, developed, and tested a method for remediate marine-dredged sediments contaminated by heavy metals using native fungi and a microporous membrane, in order to achieve the sediment quality and allow their reuse.

Materials and methods

Activity was carried out on port sediments from Genoa, Leghorn, Pisa, and Cagliari (Italy). Autochthonous fungi were isolated from each sediment and employed in mycoremediation tests. Two plastic boxes were prepared (for each Port) with 5 kg of sediment in each box, employed for metal bioaccumulation using a sterile polyester membrane inoculated with fungi. Membranes were analyzed at 15, 30, and 60 days after inoculums, and sediments were analyzed after 60 days at the end of the experiment to verify metal contamination degree. Recovery efficiency (RE%) and difference recovery efficiency (DRE%) were calculated for each experiment: the first shows the absorption capability of the membrane-fungi consortium; the second evidences only the fungal contribution to the metal absorption. To assess sediment contamination before and after the mycoremediation treatment, we considered chemical levels of reference L1 (the lowest chemical level of reference) and L2 (the highest chemical level of reference), and the evaluation of chemical hazard (HQ) for the chemical contaminants defined by the Italian Ministerial Decree 173/2016.

Results and discussion

Fungi from Genoa sediments increase the membrane absorption of Cu and Zn. Regarding Leghorn results, RE (%) increases and reaches the maximum value after 60 days of treatment for each considered metal. Cr tot, Ni, and Mn appear to be hyper-bioaccumulated. DRE values of Pisa sediments show that Mn is excluded by fungi and it does not bioaccumulate, while other metals and in particular Cd, Cr tot, Zn, and Sb are bioaccumulated. Cagliari DREs show that fungi are not able to bioaccumulate Cr tot, Ni, and Mn and their accumulation is due to the membrane, while As and Cd are bioaccumulated.

Conclusions

Our work evidenced that selected fungi are able to grow on a microporous support and actively reduce metal concentrations in the sediments, achieving their quality. This biomembrane system may represent an important instrument for the remediation of the residual metal contamination of port sediments.

     

Ecotoxicological evaluation of Harbour sediments using marine organisms from different trophic levels

Background, Aim and Scope  The toxicity of contaminated sediments should be evaluated considering the direct exposure of laboratory organisms to whole sediments and the indirect exposure to elutriates or extracts (Tay et al. 1992, Byrne and Halloran 1999, Nendza 2002). The alga Dunaliella tertiolecta is indicated for the use in toxicity bioassays because it is highly sensitive to several xenobiotics. Harpacticoid copepods have been already used for toxicity testing and Tigriopus fulvus is a promising Mediterranean target-species in ecotoxicology (Todaro et al. 2001, Faraponova et al. 2003, Pane et al. 2005a). In this study, the toxicity of sediments collected in harbour sites of the Northeastern Adriatic Sea was evaluated by growth inhibition test with free living and alginate-immobilized Dunaliella tertiolecta and acute toxicity test with nauplii and adult Tigriopus fulvus with the aim of pointing out the importance to utilize model organisms from different trophic levels in sediment ecotoxicology. Methodology  Elutriates and whole sediments were tested on free living and immobilized (Pane et al. 1998) algal cells, and on laboratory reared copepods. Free-living D. tertiolecta were exposed to diluted elutriates in a static, multi-well plate system. Naalginate immobilized D. tertiolecta were placed in polystyrene inserts fitted with polyester mesh bottoms and exposed to a thin layer (2 mm) of whole sediments in multi-well plates (EPS 1992, Pane and Bertino 1999). Toxicity tests with copepods were carried out on Tigriopus fulvus nauplii (elutriates) and adults (whole sediments and elutriates). Same-aged nauplii useful for toxicity tests were obtained by egg sac detaching and consequent hatching stimulation (Pane et al. 2006). Newborn nauplii (I–II stage) were exposed to elutriates in multi-well plates provided with polystyrene inserts. Adult T. fulvus maintained in polystyrene inserts fitted with polyester mesh bottoms were placed in contact with a thin layer (2 mm) of whole sediment placed on multi-well plate bottoms. All end-points were evaluated after 96 h. Results  In general, the effects increased with the increasing of elutriate concentration up to 50%; the stimulation or inhibition of algal growth was statistically significant in comparison to the control. The inhibiting elutriates induced EC₅₀ variations of algal growth ranging from 66.9% to 74.3%. The mortality of T. fulvus nauplii was always < 25% after treatment with 100% elutriates and < 10% after treatment with 50% dilution; no effect was shown up with 25% dilution; therefore LC₅₀ was not calculable. The effect of elutriates was negligible on adult copepods and LC₅₀ values were never calculable; percent mortality always resulted in < 10% after treatment with whole sediments. Discussion  Both experimental systems gave substantially similar results after exposition to whole sediments and elutriates. During the experiment with algal cells, the immobilization in Na-alginate and the employment of inserts which allowed the contact of organisms with sediments and their easy counting were particularly useful. Likewise, the employment of inserts of adequate mesh size in the tests with copepods allowed the contact of organisms with the sediment and made organism handling and counting easy, as well as the evaluation of mortality. The methodology here described and the utilization of the proposed test-species could have an importance also considering that the current trend in ecotoxicological research is towards finding the most appropriate organism for specific areas of concern by using indigenous species (Mariani et al. 2006) and towards the major significance of chronic and reproductive end-points. Conclusions  Based on the above results, it can be stated that the bioassay with Dunaliella tertiolecta could be a good estimation tool for the ecotoxicological assessment of marine sediments. The immobilization of algae in Na-alginate was seen to be useful to evaluate the toxicity of whole sediments; the employment of polystyrene inserts allowed an improvement of the procedures. T. fulvus nauplii and adults, as other harpacticoids such as Tigriopus japonicus (Yoon et al. 2006), satisfy the basic criteria for the employment of a standard species in marine bioassays. To date only pelagic Acartia tonsa are utilized in the standardized procedure to evaluate the risk assessment of chemicals or wastewaters (ISO 1999). As, on the contrary, the exposure of copepods to solid-phase contaminants it is not yet standardized, the employment of polystyrene inserts improved the procedures for T. fulvus too. So, the rapidity and the possibility to solve practical problems could be the main attractive features of this technique (Pane et al. 2005a) when applied to whole sediments. Recommendations and Perspectives  The methodology here developed being also applicable to long term and reproduction tests should be recommended because it provides relevant information in comparison with other frequently applied, standardized biotests with crustaceans (ISO 1999). The procedure has been shown to be easily applicable to selected marine organisms. ESS-Submission Editor: Prof. Dr. Henner Hollert (henner.hollert@bio5.rwth-aachen.de)     

Effects of Superdispersant-25 on the sorption dynamics of naphthalene and phenanthrene in marine sediments

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The present study evaluated the effects of Superdispersant-25 (SD25), a commercial dispersant stockpiled in the UK for oil spill response, on the sorption dynamics...     

Stabilization of heavy metal contaminated marine sediments with red mud and apatite composite

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Chemical stabilization (or immobilization) is an in situ remediation method that uses amendments to reduce heavy metals availability in contaminated sediments. In...     

Determination of barium,lanthanum, and cerium contents in soils by the X-ray radiometric method

A methodological approach for determining barium, lanthanum, and cerium contents with the use of an ²⁴¹Am isotope source was suggested. The new method was applied for obtaining data on the geochemistry of Ba, La, and Ce in soils of humid landscapes. The high content of La and Ce was determined in cryozems of the Kolyma Lowland. In alluvial soils of Perm’, barium was identified in rhyzoconcretions in the form of barium sulfate of probably technogenic origin. In the gleyed agrozem on the Mulyanka River floodplain, the redistribution of barium in the soil profile and its concentration in iron nodules were detected. The contents of La and Ce in the fine earth of contaminated soils remained stable, and lanthanides were accumulated in concretions: the coefficient of La accumulation was 3.5 and that of Ce was 6.9. The mean accumulation coefficients of the elements in the studied soils were as follows: Ce (3.7) > Ba (3.0) > La (2.2).     

太湖湖积物及黄海潮间海积物中氮的反硝化及硝态氮还原成铵的研究

Denitrification and nitrate reduction to ammonium in Taihu Lake and Yellow Sea inter-tidal marine sediments were studied.The sediment samples were made slurry containing 150g dry matter per liter.Various of glucose-C to nitrate-N.Acetylene inhibition technique was applied to measure denitrification in the slurres,All samples were incubated anaerobically under argon atmosphere,Data showed that Taihu Lake sediment produced more N2O than marine sediment,Denitrification potential was higher in Taihu Lake sediment than in marine one,Glucose added increase denitrification activity but not the denitrification potential of the sediments.Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium seemed to occur in marine sediment,but not in freshwater one.When the marine sediment was treated with 25mmol L^-1 glucose,its denitrification potentail,as indicated by maximum N2O production by acetylene blockage,was lower than that treated with no or 2.5mmol L^-1 glucose.Acetylene was suspected to have inhibitory effect on dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium.     

Determination of refractory organic matter in marine sediments by chemical oxidation, analytical pyrolysis and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Seeking to quantify the amount of refractory organic matter (ROM), which includes black carbon‐like material (BC), in marine sediments, we have applied a two‐step procedure that consists of a chemical oxidation with sodium chlorite of the demineralized sediments followed by integration of the aromatic C region in the remaining residues by solid‐state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The efficacy for lignin removal was tested by analytical pyrolysis in the presence of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Riverine, estuarine and offshore marine sediment samples were collected from the southwest Atlantic coast of Spain, a site of geological and environmental interest. Measured contents of BC‐like material ranged between 3.0 and 45.7% of the total organic carbon. Greater relative BC contents were found in riverine sediments close to urban areas, which show an elevated input of anthropogenic organic material. The contents of BC‐like material in offshore marine sediments (5.5–6.1%) were similar to those previously reported for these kinds of samples. However, NMR and pyrolysis‐GC/MS of the isolated ROM reveals that abundant refractory aliphatic organic material remains in most of the marine samples after chlorite oxidation. We suggest that this pool of aliphatic carbon may play an important role as a stable carbon pool within the global C cycle.     

Metal contamination of soils, sediments and dusts in the vicinity of marine leisure boat maintenance facilities

Purpose

Metal contamination arising from boat maintenance is a growing environmental concern. In this study, metals currently or historically employed in boat paints (Ba, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn) have been determined in geosolids sampled from within and in the vicinity of two leisure boat maintenance facilities in south west England.

Materials and methods

Samples of dusts, sediments and soils from two boatyards and from various urban control sites were fractionated through 63 μm before being digested in boiling aqua regia. Metal concentrations were determined in sample digests by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry.

Results and discussion

Metal concentrations were highly variable in each medium but were greatest in boatyard dusts which, pre-fractionation, often contained visible particles of paint. Metal concentrations in sediments and soils were higher than concentrations in respective control samples and, in many cases, exceeded environmental quality standards or predicted effect concentrations. Observations are attributed to the heterogeneous contamination of geosolids by fine particulates of antifouling paint generated during boat maintenance and repair; specifically, particulates contaminate sediment via boatyard runoff (with rainfall and washdown water), while soil is contaminated through the deposition of fine, airborne paint dusts.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that boat paint particles enriched in a variety of metals contaminate both coastal and terrestrial environments. Contamination arises from the removal and dispersion of dusts during boat maintenance. Stricter measures for the containment and disposal of wastes generated by boat repair and repainting are, therefore, recommended.     

Iron and arsenic speciation in marine sediments undergoing a resuspension event: the impact of biotic activity

Purpose

Changes in the chemical conditions of sediment following a resuspension event might lead to release of sequestered pollutants. In the present study, arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) speciation were investigated before and after such an event, in sediment from L'Estaque marina (France). This marina is located near an industrial plant which processed As-bearing ores for several decades.

Materials and methods

Cores (0–60 cm) and surface sediment (0–10 cm) were collected by a diver. Sediment properties along the length of the core were determined by coupling chemical extractions, and diffraction (i.e., X-ray diffraction) and spectroscopic techniques (i.e., micro-X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy). Laboratory experiments mimicking resuspension and resettlement events were conducted over a period of 3 months in both biotic and abiotic (autoclaved) conditions. In both cases, oxidation proceeded by oxygen diffusion from the top to the bottom of the sediment.

Results and discussion

It was demonstrated that the unperturbed sediment was anoxic. Arsenic, almost fully under its trivalent As(III) form, had a concentration between 194 and 473 μg g^?1, and its main carrier phase was the Fe-monosulfide mackinawite; this mineral originated from in situ transformation of Fe oxides, partly emitted by the industrial plant. The observed progressive pyritisation of mackinawite was not accompanied by further reduction of As which means that As remained bound to mackinawite, as incorporation into the pyrite lattice would require that it reduced to its (?I) oxidation state. After oxidation during the resuspension event, and in abiotic conditions, As was fully pentavalent As(V) in the oxidized zone of the re-settled sediment. On the contrary, in the biotic experiment, the development of a bacterial mat, which consumed oxygen for respiration processes, preserved the sediment from total oxidation. Consequently, As was present under both As(III) and As(V) forms, the first one being minor (～20 % of total As) in the top of the sediment. The diversity of aioA genes was large, and was similar in the oxidized layer and the deeper black-colored sediment.

Conclusions

These results indicate that biological processes partly control the in situ geochemical system by inducing low redox areas in theoretically oxidized sediments.     

Status of contaminated marine sediments in four Nordic countries: assessments,regulations, and remediation approaches

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Since the 1960s, pollution of the marine environment has been observed around the world, and a general awareness of the potential environmental hazards from...     

Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans in marine products

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used as flame retardants in plastics and textile coatings, and these compounds have been recognized as ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Furthermore, it is considered a serious problem that polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/DFs), having toxicities similar to those of chlorinated dioxins, are generated by the manufacture of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as PBDEs, and formed by the combustion of substances containing BFRs. Several congeners of PBDD/DFs and PBDEs have been detected in the adipose tissue of the Japanese. Although food is suspected as an exposure source, little information is available regarding the levels of these brominated compounds in food, as compared with information regarding dioxin or polychlorinated biphenyls. It is necessary to investigate the levels of these brominated organic compounds in various foods and to estimate their influence in the case of human exposure. We developed an efficient method of analyzing PBDEs and PBDD/DFs contents in food samples using accelerated solvent extraction and determined the concentrations in several marine products such as raw fish, processed foods, and seaweed purchased in Japan. A recovery test (n = 5) using the method and involving dried fish showed acceptable recoveries of 57.7-78.5% (RSD 5.4-15.9%) for PBDEs and 50.0-56.4% (RSD 1.5-7.9%) for PBDD/DFs. In the analysis of marine product samples, several congeners of PBDEs were detected in raw fish, processed fish, and seaweed; the highest concentration of sigmaPBDEs was detected in yellowtail (1161 pg/g whole basis), followed by mackerel (553.5 pg/g whole basis). The most dominant congener present in these marine samples was 2,2',4,4'-tetraBDE (#47).