Flame Retardants at the Top of a Simulated Baltic Marine Food Web—A Case Study Concerning African Penguins from the Gdansk Zoo

Abstract The present study estimated hexabromocyclo-dodecane (HBCD) as a sum of three main isomers (a, b, and c) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) from Gdansk Zoo and in their sole food, Baltic herring (Clupea harengus), from Gdansk Bay. The average concentration of HBCD in whole herring was 22.0 ± 9.9 ng/g lw, whereas TBBPA was approximately 10-fold lower (2.3 ± 1.3 ng/g lw). Bromi-nated flame retardants (BFRs) were also found in muscle and liver of herring. The estimated daily dietary exposure of the penguins to HBCD was 252.9 ± 113.7 ng, whereas for TBBPA it was 26.3 ± 14.9 ng. The ability of BFRs to accumulate in the liver, muscles, fatty tissue, and brain of penguin was confirmed. The highest concentrations of HBCD (326.9 ngg-1 lw) and TBBPA (14.8 ngg-1 lw