title: Concentrations of legacy and emerging flame retardants in air and soil on a transect in the UK West Midlands.
abstract: Passive air samples were collected monthly for 6 months from 8 sites along a transect of Birmingham, United Kingdom between June 2012 and January 2013. Soil samples were collected once at each site. Average concentrations of BDE-209, ΣPBDEs17:183 and ΣPBDEs in ambient air were 150, 49, and 180 pg m(-3), respectively. Atmospheric concentrations of PBDEs were negatively correlated with distance from the city centre, exhibiting an "urban pulse". The average ΣHBCDD air concentration was 100 pg m(-3), however concentrations were not correlated with distance from the city centre. Several emerging flame retardants (EFRs) were identified in air and/or soil samples: 2,3,4,5-tetrabromo-bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (BEH-TEBP), 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2 dibromoethyl)cyclohexane (TBECH or DBE-DBCH), allyl 2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether (ATE), 2-bromoallyl 2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether (BATE), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and dechlorane plus (DP or DDC-CO). Average concentrations of BDE-209, ΣPBDEs17:183 and ΣPBDEs in soil were 11, 3.6, and 15 ng g(-1) soil organic matter. PBDE concentrations in soil were higher at sites closest to the city centre, however correlations with distance from the city centre were not significant. BDEs-47 and -99 contributed more to ΣPBDEs in soil samples than air samples, but in both, the predominant congener was BDE-209. BATE was more abundant in air than soil but ATE was abundant in soil but not air.
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK; National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology, University of Queensland, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland, 4108, Australia. Electronic address: d.drage@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Drage
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-10691, Sweden.
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-10691, Sweden.
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrad
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014507:Urbanization; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Air; EFRs; HBCD; HBCDD; PBDEs; Soil