PBDEs in the supralittoral environment: the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Montagu) as biomonitor?

In this study we evaluated the use of Talitrus saltator as biomonitor of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) contamination of the supralittoral zone of Mediterranean sandy shores, an area characterized by a strong input of contaminants but not yet investigated about the presence of these pollutants. We detected the presence of twenty PBDE congeners in amphipods and sand samples collected along the Tyrrhenian coast of central Italy. Eight congeners were detected in all samples. Among them, the BDE-209 was the most abundant in both amphipods and sand samples followed by BDE-99, BDE-153 and BDE-47 in animals, and BDE-99, BDE-47 and BDE-100 in sediment. The ΣPBDEs in amphipods was higher (on the average 2.5-5-fold) than in sand for almost the totality of congeners detected and each sampling site, suggesting the good capacity of sandhoppers to accumulate these pollutants. Moreover statistical analysis revealed significant differences in PBDE concentrations recorded in tissues of T. saltator among sampling sites. Therefore our results suggested the possible utilization of T. saltator as a biomonitor of PBDE contamination of the supralittoral zone of Mediterranean sandy shores.