title: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in surface soils near the Changwengluozha Glacier of Central Tibetan Plateau, China.
abstract: Forty-two congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were detected for each of 27 surface-soil samples collected at an area near the Changwengluozha Glacier in the Central Tibetan Plateau (CTP), a remote background area at altitude from 5080 to 5217 m. The total concentrations of BDEs in soils ranged from 15.3 to 248.0 ng/kg, which were found to be positively correlated with the clay contents in the soil. In addition to adsorption, the clay was found to serve as a catalyst for the debromination of PBDEs in soils. Three pieces of evidence confirmed that the clay was significantly correlated with the debrominating transformation from the higher brominated congeners to the less brominated congeners. The transforming rate was found to be increased 3.5% with a 10% increase in clays. Debromination is an important way for highly brominated congeners to transform into lighter brominated congeners that are more toxic. This study first provided the direct field evidences for clays contributing to the debromination of PBDEs, and elucidated the importance of it in PBDEs' environmental fate.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China; School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China; School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address: yuangl@cugb.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guo-Li
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Chao
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Gen-Hou
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D046448:Ice Cover; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D018609:Tibet
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Clay minerals; Debromination; Fate; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Surface soils