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Accumulation and Transformation of 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabrominated Diphenyl Ether (BDE47) by the Earthworm Metaphire vulgaris in Soil

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Abstract

The accumulation and transformation of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE47), one congener of the flame retardants polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in soil-feeding fauna are still unknown. Using radioactivity tracer, we incubated 14C-labelled BDE47 in soil for 21 days in the presence and absence of the geophagous earthworm Metaphire vulgaris. BDE47 accumulated in the earthworm predominantly via oral ingestion of soil, giving a biota-soil accumulation factor (BSAF) value of 1.3 for radioactivity at the end of incubation, and was mostly located in intestine, followed by clitellum (organs region) and skin of earthworms. Accumulation was accompanied by significant decrease of BDE47 concentration in soil porewater and BDE47 mineralization in soil. BDE47 was transformed in the earthworm gut into two metabolites with higher polarities than BDE47. The results provide for the first time insights into accumulation and transformation of lower-brominated congeners of PBDEs in geophagous earthworms, being helpful for environmental risk assessment of PBDEs.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 21661132004, 21237001, 21876079), the Science and Technology Bureau of Quanzhou City (No. 2018C006), and European Commission Horizon 2020 program Electra (No. 826244).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Xianlin Avenue 163, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Yao Yao, Lin Wang, Philippe F.-X. Corvini & Rong Ji

  2. Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Hofackerstrasse 30, 4132, Muttenz, Switzerland

    Philippe F.-X. Corvini

  3. Quanzhou Institute for Environment Protection Industry, Nanjing University, Beifeng Road, Quanzhou, 362000, China

    Rong Ji

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  1. Yao Yao
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  2. Lin Wang
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  3. Philippe F.-X. Corvini
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  4. Rong Ji
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Correspondence to Rong Ji.

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Yao, Y., Wang, L., Corvini, P.FX. et al. Accumulation and Transformation of 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabrominated Diphenyl Ether (BDE47) by the Earthworm Metaphire vulgaris in Soil. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 104, 701–706 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-02834-9

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