title: Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in the atmosphere of the North Sea.
abstract: Air samples collected in the German part of the North Sea from March to July 2010 were investigated for organophosphorus compounds (OPs) being applied as flame retardants and plasticizers. The ∑(8)OPs concentration ranged from 110 to 1400 pg m(-3) while tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) dominated all samples with individual concentrations up to 1200 pg m(-3). The highest concentrations were observed in continental air masses showing the high influence of industrialized regions including production sites on atmospheric emissions and concentrations. The occurrence of OPs even in oceanic/Arctic air masses shows that OPs can undergo long-range atmospheric transport. Dry particle-bound deposition fluxes from 9 to 240 ng m(-2) d(-1) for ∑(8)OPs were estimated leading to a minimum annual flux of 710 ± 580 kg y(-1) OPs into the German North Sea. This study presents the first occurrence of OPs in the marine atmosphere together with important information on their long-range transport potential.
authors.affiliation: Department for Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Institute of Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany. axel.moeller@hzg.de
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caba
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ebinghaus
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005060:Europe; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D009659:North Sea; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010968:Plasticizers