Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Tuning the Acidity of Pt/ CNTs Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation of Diphenyl Ether
Published on: August 17, 2019
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE) Accumulation in Farmed Salmon Evaluated Using a Dynamic Sea-Cage Production
Carla A Ng1, Amélie Ritscher2, Konrad Hungerbuehler2
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Pittsburgh , 3700 O'Hara Street , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15261 , United States.
Abstract:
Food is an important source of human exposure to hazardous chemicals. Chemical concentration in a food item depends on local environmental contamination, production conditions, and, for animal-derived foods, on feed. Here, we investigate these influences on the accumulation of individual polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners (PBDEs) in farmed Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar). We develop a dynamic model over a full sea-cage salmon production cycle. To assess the influence of metabolic debromination on PBDE congener profiles, in vitro measurements of debromination rates in fish liver cells were extrapolated to whole-body metabolic rate constants. Model results indicate that the dominant factors governing PBDE concentration in Atlantic salmon fillet are uptake via contaminated feed and fish growth, whereas the influence of metabolic debromination is minor. PBDE concentrations in fish feed depend on several factors, including the geographic origin of fish feed ingredients, which are produced and traded globally. Human exposure to PBDE via salmon consumption is less influenced by environmental concentrations at the location of salmon farming than by environmental concentrations influencing feed components. This dependence of PBDE concentrations in salmon on the origin and composition of feed reveals the complexity of predicting contaminant concentrations in globally traded food.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Ethers from Alcohols: Alcohol Dehydration and Williamson Ether Synthesis
Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
Crown Ethers
Structure and Nomenclature of Ethers
Ethers are organic compounds with an ether functional group which is characterized by an oxygen atom connected to two — identical or different — alkyl, aryl, or vinyl groups. The C–O–C linkage in dimethyl ether — the simplest ether — has an approximately tetrahedral bond angle of 110.3 degrees. The oxygen atom is sp3- hybridized, with the C–O distance being about 140 pm.
Classification of Ethers
Based on their attached substituent...
Physical Properties of Ethers
An ether molecule has a net dipole moment due to the polarity of C–O bonds. Subsequently, boiling points of ethers are lower than those of alcohols of comparable molecular weight and slightly higher than those of hydrocarbons of comparable molecular weight (Table 1).
Ethers can act as hydrogen bond acceptors, making them more water-soluble than hydrocarbons, but since ethers cannot act as hydrogen bond donors, they are much less soluble in water than alcohols. Ethers are considered...
The Thoracic Cage: Sternum
The sternum is the elongated bony structure on the anterior side of the thoracic cage. It consists of three parts: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid...
The Thoracic Cage: Ribs
Parts of a Typical Rib
A typical rib has a head, neck, and body. The posterior end of the rib is called the head, followed by a narrow neck. The head articulates primarily with the costal...

