title: Mass balance and mass loading of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in a tertiary wastewater treatment plant using SBSE-TD-GC/MS.
abstract: A mass loading and mass balance analysis was performed on selected polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the first full-scale indirect potable reuse treatment plant in the United States. Chemical analysis of PBDEs was performed using an environmentally friendly sample preparation technique, called stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), coupled with thermal desorption and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The three most dominant PBDEs found in all the samples were: BDE-47, BDE-99 and BDE-100. In the wastewater influent, the concentrations of studied PBDEs ranged from 94 to 775 ng/L, and in the effluent, the levels were below the detection limit. Concentrations in sludge ranged from 50 to 182 ng/g. In general, a removal efficiency of 92-96% of the PBDEs in the plant was accomplished through primary and secondary processes. The tertiary treatment process was able to effectively reduce the aforementioned PBDEs to less than 10 ng/L (>96% removal efficiency) in the effluent. If PBDEs remain in the treated wastewater effluent, they may pose environmental and health impacts through aquifer recharge, irrigation, and sludge final disposal.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Campus Universitario #2, Circuito Universitario, Chihuahua, C. P 31125 Chihuahua, Mexico E-mail: rochafcq@gmail.com; brocha@uach.mx.
authors.forename: Beatriz A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Rocha-Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
authors.forename: Wen-Yee
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shane Walker
mesh_terms: D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C477694:2,2',4,4',5-brominated diphenyl ether; C517827:pentabrominated diphenyl ether 100; C511295:2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether