title: Occurrence and fate of four novel brominated flame retardants in wastewater treatment plants.
abstract: Four novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), i.e., decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), and hexabromobenzene (HBB) were studied in 377 liquid samples and 288 solid samples collected from 20 wastewater treatment plants. Lagoon, primary, secondary, and advanced treatment processes were included, in order to investigate NBFR occurrence and the effects of WWTP operational conditions on NBFR removal. Median influent and effluent levels were 14 to 3,700 and 1.0 to 180 pg/L respectively, with DBDPE being the highest in both. Overall median removal efficiencies for DBDPE, BTBPE, HBB, and PBEB across all process types were 81 to 93, 76 to 98, 61 to 97, and 54 to 97 %, respectively with advanced treatment processes obtaining the best removals. NBFRs removal was related to retention time, surface loading rate, and biomass concentration. Median NBFR levels in treated biosolids were 80 to 32,000 pg/g, influenced by solids treatment processes.
authors.affiliation: Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, P.O. Box 5050, Burlington, Canada, L7R 4A6.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alaee
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Smyth
mesh_terms: D001969:Bromobenzenes / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001969:Bromobenzenes; D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D062065:Wastewater; C017363:hexabromobenzene