Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in air and fallouts from an e-waste polluted region in southeast China: insight into levels, compositional profiles, and seasonal variation.
Air and fallout samples were collected seasonally in an e-waste polluted region in southeast of China in 2013-2014. The annual polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) concentrations in air and fallout samples were 200 ± 162 pg m(-3) and 320 ± 255 ng g(-1), respectively. The deposition flux calculated from the fallout concentration was 110 ± 77.3 ng m(-2) day(-1). The PBDE levels and deposition fluxes of the samples deployed within the e-waste central area were three to four times higher than those in the surrounding area. The congener profiles in the air samples could be commonly found in commercial penta-BDE mixtures. BDE209 was the most dominant congener in fallout samples. Debromination processes were confirmed to occur both in the air and fallouts due to the minor amounts or inexistence of some congeners in technical PBDE products. The highest gaseous PBDE concentration was found during the summer while lowest during the autumn. PBDE concentration in fallouts turned up higher in the cold months while lower in the warm months. The similarity of deposition fluxes at sites in the e-waste central area indicated a steady PBDE emission source, whereas the significant relationship between deposition fluxes and particle weights at sites in the e-waste surrounding area suggested the scavenging of PBDEs in this area was largely associated with particles.
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.|State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130, Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Feng
F
Xu
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Gang
G
Zhang
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Junxia
J
Wang
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Wei
W
Zhang
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Lili
L
Liu
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China. kflin@ecust.edu.cn.|State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130, Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China. kflin@ecust.edu.cn.
Kuangfei
K
Lin
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons
D000393:Air Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D015386:Hazardous Substances
Air; Deposition fluxes; Fallouts; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Seasonal variation