Brominated flame retardant concentrations and trends in abiotic media

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.12.006

Chemosphere

Volume 64, Issue 2, June 2006, Pages 181-186

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.12.006 Get rights and content

Abstract

BFR burdens in abiotic media have been less studied than in biota, despite their essential value as an aide to identifying sources, temporal and geographic trends and exposure routes. Many polymer products consist of several percent by weight of BFRs. Global trade in these can result in rapid and wholesale BFR movement. Loss from in-use products of nonreactive BFRs may be important, particularly in respect to indoor exposure. In the case of BDE-209, discharges from publicly owned treatment works may be substantial. BFR burdens in air, water and sewage sludge respond rapidly to changes in environmental BFR inputs. PBDEs have been the most widely studied. In many locales PBDE burdens in these media now surpass those of PCBs. Air and water near sources and urban areas are typically enriched relative to rural locales. The more volatile PBDEs dominate in the vapor phase, while BDE-209 typically predominates on particulates. Evidence exists for long-range transport of the more volatile PBDEs. A greater diversity of BFRs (mostly PBDEs, HBCD and TBBP-A) has been detected in sewage sludges. Land application of these sludges on agricultural fields is one conduit for soil contamination. In general, environmental concentrations of BDE-209 appear to be increasing, while penta-BDE burdens in Europe may have peaked. Sediments function as longer-term integrators of environmental burdens. Concentrations of common BFRs therein may be substantial near point sources. Evidence for debromination in the environment has been limited to date. However, some laboratory and field observations suggest it is possible to a limited extent.

Section snippets

Sources of BFRs

In 2001 98% demand for the penta-BDE commercial product (predominantly used in polyurethane foam) was concentrated in North America (Hale et al., 2003). In turn, most of this was centered in the US, as the population density is greater than Canada and PBDE production is based in the US. The major North American manufacturer of penta- and octa-discontinued their production in December 2004 and the European Union enacted a ban on the presence of these BFRs in products in 2004 as well.

In 2001

Outdoor and indoor air

Interesting data have recently emerged on PBDEs in outdoor air using high-volume samplers, artificial passive samplers and ambient organic surface films. Unfortunately the data published to date are still too few to conclusively discern temporal trends in themselves. Geographically there appears to be a logical relationship between proximity to source and BFR concentration.

PBDEs exhibit a greater propensity to partition to aerosol particulates than PCBs and their burdens now exceed PCBs at a

Soil, indoor dust and sewage sludge

As BFRs have relatively low volatilities, significant association with particulates is expected. TRI data suggest that BFR levels, e.g., in the form of fugitive dust emissions (see Fig. 2), may be significant in proximity to point sources, such as manufacturing facilities. In contrast to other POPs such as PCBs, limited work has considered soil contamination. However, one of the earliest reports of BFRs in the environment relates to deca- near an Arkansas (US) PBDE manufacturing facility in the

Water

Penta-related PBDE concentrations in whole effluents from POTWs are usually in the sub-μg/l range. However, the high water volumes discharged can translate into significant PBDE amounts. BDE-209 at 12 μg/l was recently observed in a POTW effluent serving a US plastics product manufacturer (La Guardia et al., 2004). Most was likely associated with the suspended solids released. Analysis of effluent particulates from The Netherlands supports this view, wherein BDE-209 exceeded 100 μg/kg (de Boer et

Sediments

Aquatic sediments generally contain low BFR burdens, although PBDE levels nearing 1000 μg/kg have been detected near industrial concerns and POTWs (Allchin et al., 1999, de Boer et al., 2003, La Guardia et al., 2004). Sediments near such sources and populated areas are generally enriched in the more hydrophobic congeners compared to more distant samples. Christensen and Platz (2001) observed highest levels in Danish sediments of BDE-209, followed by -99 and the -47. Morris et al. (2004) reported

Acknowledgement

This is Contribution 2713 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary.

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Brominated flame retardant concentrations and trends in abiotic media

Abstract

Section snippets

Sources of BFRs

Outdoor and indoor air

Soil, indoor dust and sewage sludge

Water

Sediments

Acknowledgement

Environ. Pollut.

Environ. Pollut.

Chemosphere

Environ. Int.

Chemosphere

Environ. Pollut.

Environ. Pollut.

Solar photodecomposition of decabromodiphenyl ether: products and quantum yield

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Spatial distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in southern Ontario as measured in indoor and outdoor window organic films

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Screening of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in blue mussels, marine and freshwater sediments in Denmark

J. Environ. Monit.

Assessment of the hazards of polybrominated biphenyls

Environ. Health Perspect.

Atmospheric emissions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and other persistent organic pollutants during a major anthropogenic combustion event

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Preliminary assessment of UK human dietary and inhalation exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Environ. Sci. Technol.

PBDEs in European background soils: levels and factors controlling their distribution

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Environ. Sci. Technol.

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