Development of analytical procedures for trace-level determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and tetrabromobisphenol A in river water and sediment.
The aim of this work was to develop procedures for the simultaneous determination of selected brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in river water and in river bed sediment. The target analytes were polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). To determine dissolved BFRs, a novel mixed-mode solid-phase extraction procedure was developed by combining a hydrophobic sorbent (C(18)) with a silica-based anion exchange sorbent, so as to overcome the negative artefact induced by dissolved organic carbon. Extraction recoveries exceeded 73% for most analytes, except for BDE-183 and BDE-209 (57%). As regards suspended sediment and river bed sediment, extraction was carried out by means of ultrasonication (recoveries: 73-94%). These procedures, combined to gas chromatography coupled to negative chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (GC-NCI-MS), enabled the determination of BFRs at trace level: 3-160 pg L(-1) in river water, 5-145 pg g(-1) in bed sediment. These methods were applied to the determination of PBDEs and TBBPA in a suburban river (near Paris, France). PBDEs were systematically detected in the water column (SigmaBDEs, 2,300-4,300 pg L(-1)); they partitioned between the dissolved and particulate phases and BDE-209 was the dominant congener, followed by BDE-99 and BDE-47. TBBPA was detected in the dissolved phase only (<35-68 pg L(-1)). All selected BFRs were ubiquitous in bed sediments and levels ranged from 3,100 to 15,100 pg g(-1) and from 70 to 280 pg g(-1) (dry weight), for SigmaBDEs and TBBPA, respectively.
Labadie
Pierre
P
UMR 7619 Sisyphe, CNRS/UPMC, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, BP 105, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France. pierre.labadie@upmc.fr
Tlili
Khawla
K
Alliot
Fabrice
F
Bourges
Catherine
C
Desportes
Annie
A
Chevreuil
Marc
M
D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C020806:tetrabromobisphenol A