This study investigates the levels, composition profile and potential sources of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in surface water and fish tissues from Sundays (SDE) and Swartkops Estuaries (SWE). The concentration of Ʃ ${\sum }_6$PBDEs ranged from 2.5 to 39.1 ng/L for SDE and 2.5 to 168.8 ng/L for SWE. BDE-17, BDE-47, and BDE-100 were the predominant congeners in the sample matrices from both estuaries. In all the ten sampling sites studied, samples from the Motherwell Canal recorded the highest mean concentration as indicated by the hierarchical cluster analysis. Seasonal variations of the contaminants showed a high level of PBDEs in autumn for SDE, while for SWE samples collected in the summer recorded the highest concentration. The Ʃ ${\sum }_6$PBDEs in muscles of twenty-two specimens of Mugil cephalus collected from SDE ranged from 1.3 to 9.1​ ng/g ww, while the concentration in twenty specimens of Pomadasys commersonnii from SWE ranged from 0.41 to 76.3 ng/g ww. The polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) levels were higher in the gills of both fish species compared to their muscles. Hence, this study ascertains that the consumption of these fish species does not pose a non-cancer health risk. This paper suggests that long-term exposure and bioaccumulation of PBDEs as well as other organic contaminants should be investigated in various environmental matrices in other estuaries in South Africa.

这项研究调查了周日（SDE）和Swartkops河口（SWE）的地表水和鱼类组织中多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）的水平，组成特征和潜在来源。concentration的浓度${\sum }_6$多溴二苯醚的SDE浓度范围为2.5至39.1 ng / L，SWE的浓度范围为2.5至168.8 ng / L。BDE-17，BDE-47和BDE-100是两个河口样本基质中的主要同源物。在所研究的所有十个采样点中，如分层聚类分析所示，来自马瑟韦尔运河的样品均记录了最高的平均浓度。污染物的季节变化表明，秋季SDE的PBDEs含量较高，而夏季采集的SWE样品的PBDEs含量最高。Ʃ${\sum }_6$ 从SDE采集的22头Mugil头颅标本的肌肉中PBDEs的范围为1.3至9.1 ng / g ww，而从SWE采集的20种Commomasys commersonnii标本中的PBDEs范围为0.41至76.3 ng / g ww。两种鱼类的ill中的多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）水平均高于其肌肉。因此，这项研究确定了食用这些鱼类并不会带来非癌症的健康风险。本文建议应在南非其他河口的各种环境基质中研究PBDEs以及其他有机污染物的长期暴露和生物积累。