해산규조류 (Skeletonema. Costatum)의 개체군 성장률을 이용하여 PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-209)의 독성평가를 실시하였다. BDE-47은 0.31 mg L-1 이상의 농도부터 유의미하게 감소하여 농도의존성을 나타냈으나, BDE-209의 경우 시험 최고농도 125 mg L-1에서도 변화를 나타내지 않았다. 본 시험결과 EC50값은 BDE-47과 BDE-209에서 각각 0.55 mg L-1와 >125 mg L-1이었고, NOEC값은 0.16 mg L-1와 >125 mg L-1이었으며, LOEC값은 0.31 mg L-1와 >125 mg L-1으로 나타나 BDE-47이 BDE-209에 유해성이 더 큰 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 연안환경에서의 BDE-47의 농도가 LOEC 값인 0.31 mg L-1를 초과할 경우 S. costatum과 같은 식물성플랑크톤에 악영향을 미칠 것으로 판단된다. 본 연구 결과는 PBDEs의 해양환경 기준 설정 및 타 독성물질과의 상대적 독성치를 비교하기 위한 귀중한 자료로 활용될 것으로 판단된다.
Toxic assessment of PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-209) has carried out using the rates of population growth in marine phytoplankton, Skeletonema costatum. The population growth rate (r) in S. costatum was determined after 96 hours of exposure to BDE-47 (2,2ʹ4,4ʹ-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether) and BDE-209 (2,2ʹ, 4,4ʹ-Decabromodiphenyl ether). It was observed that r-value in the controls (absence PBDEs) was greater than 0.04 and further a decrease was observed in a dose-dependent manner. BDE-47 reduced population growth rate in a dose-dependent manner and a significant reduction occurred at a concentration greater than 0.31 mg L-1, but BDE-209 had no effect on population growth rate even at concentrations greater than 125 mg L-1. The population growth rate in the presence of BDE-47 and BDE-209, EC50 values were 0.55 mg L-1 and >125 mg L-1, and NOEC values were 0.16 mg L-1 and >125 mg L-1, respectively. Therefore, BDE-47 is considered to be about over 80 times more harmful than BDE-209. In this study, the ecotoxic assessment based on population growth rate in S. costatum can be used as a baseline data for establishment of environment standard quality of BDE-47 and BDE-209 in the marine environment.