Free and bound polybrominated diphenyl ethers and tetrabromobisphenol A in freshwater sediments.
Both free and bound fractions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in sediment were examined. The free fraction was operationally defined as the fraction of each target compound extracted with a solvent mixture of hexane/acetone by Soxhlet extraction, while the bound fraction was the portion released from the sediments by alkaline hydrolysis following the solvent extractions. Tri- to hepta-BDEs and TBBPA were detected in the bound fraction. Bound PBDEs accounted for 0.2-2.8% of the total PBDEs and bound TBBPA accounted for 6.5-48% of the total TBBPA, in surface sediments. In sediment cores, these percentages ranged from 1.8% to 42% for bound PBDEs and 22-92% for bound TBBPA. The percentages of bound materials showed an increasing trend with the sediment depth. Sequestration of PBDEs and TBBPA within sediments might be an important geochemical fate of these brominated flame retardants.
Luo
Xiao-Jun
XJ
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Zhang
Xiu-Lan
XL
Chen
She-Jun
SJ
Mai
Bi-Xian
BX
D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D005618:Fresh Water; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D012997:Solvents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C020806:tetrabromobisphenol A