title: Wastewater analysis of Census day samples to investigate per capita input of organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers into wastewater.
abstract: The use of organophosphate esters (PFRs) as flame retardants and plasticizers has increased due to the ban of some brominated flame retardants. There is however some concern regarding the toxicity, particularly carcinogenicity and neurotoxicity, of some of the PFRs. In this study we applied wastewater analysis to assess use of PFRs by the Australian population. Influent samples were collected from eleven wastewater treatment plants (STPs) in Australia on Census day and analysed for PFRs using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Per capita mass loads of PFRs were calculated using the accurate Census head counts. The results indicate that tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) has the highest per capita input into wastewater followed by tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris(isobutyl) phosphate (TIBP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP). Similar PFR profiles were observed across the Australian STPs and a comparison with European and U.S. STPs indicated similar PFR concentrations. We estimate that approximately 2.1 mg person(-1) day(-1) of PFRs are input into Australian wastewater which equates to 16 tonnes per annum.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, QLD 4108, Australia. Electronic address: j.obrien2@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jake W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, QLD 4108, Australia; Queensland University of Technology, International Laboratory for Air Quality & Health, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia. Electronic address: p.thai@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Phong K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Thai
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: sicco.brandsma@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Sicco H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Brandsma
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: pim.leonards@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Pim E G
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Leonards
authors.affiliation: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; The University of Queensland, Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC), St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. Electronic address: Christoph.Ort@eawag.ch.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ort
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, QLD 4108, Australia. Electronic address: j.mueller@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jochen F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D019352:Censuses; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000032:analysis*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010968:Plasticizers; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C012085:tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate; C013320:tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate
keywords: Australia; Census; Flame retardants; Organophosphorus esters; Plasticizers; Wastewater analysis