Transgenerational transfer of PBDEs in Staghorn Sculpin

Abstract

In my project I have postulated that organic halogen contamination, as modeled by polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants, would be distributed differently between the flesh, organs and eggs of a female fish.  It is the partitioning capacity of halogenated organics that makes them of such interest and concern to us as they bioaccumulate unevenly in the body, particularly in the lipids and fats, such as egg yolks.  Because PBDEs are known to persist for a very long time, it has lead me to speculate that levels are higher than current calculations for the body burdens that the following generations of fish start out with, leading to a lower viability/survival rate of those fry.