Evaluacion del impacto ambiental de los retardantes de llama bromados en ecosistemas acuaticos de america latina. proyecto bromacua.

In the project, we will evaluate the environmental impact of two groups of highly used brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in aquatic ecosystems. We have selected two areas in latinamerica to carry out such studies: Bahia San Vicente (Concepcion, Chile) and Rio Magdalena (Barranquilla, Colombia). These points were selected because of its high biodiversity. The bioavailability, biomagnification, and bioaccumulation of such pollutants will be tested with field experiments through the trophic chain. a screening ecological risk assessment will be performed with advanced modelling techniques and with field data collected in this study. The results will be compared to studies in similar european ecosystems. We want to research the impact of such pollution in industrial activities dedicated to the production of flour and oil from fish. The fate of such products is finally food, in fisheries through fodder, or in humans through vitamin supplements. So, the project looks for the relationship between the pollution of the ecosystems with the effects that such pollution brings to living organisms, inlcuding humans. The Project is sponsored by Fundacion BBVa, and the leader is the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) in Barcelona- Spain. The rest of participants are: EULa at University of Concepcion in Chile, the Universidad del Valle in Cali-Colombia, and the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Cali-Colombia. Currently, the BROMaCUa Project is under development since jule 2009, and it finishes in july 2012.