title: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative brominated flame retardants (aBFRs) in sediments from four bays of the Yellow Sea, North China.
abstract: The distribution characteristics and potential sources of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative brominated flame retardants (aBFRs) were investigated in 54 surface sediment samples from four bays (Taozi Bay, Sishili Bay, Dalian Bay, and Jiaozhou Bay) of North China's Yellow Sea. Of the 54 samples studied, 51 were collected from within the four bays and 3 were from rivers emptying into Jiaozhou Bay. Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) was the predominant flame retardant found, and concentration ranged from 0.16 to 39.7 ng g(-1) dw and 1.13-49.9 ng g(-1) dw in coastal and riverine sediments, respectively; these levels were followed by those of BDE 209, and its concentrations ranged from n.d. to 10.2 ng g(-1) dw and 0.05-7.82 ng g(-1) dw in coastal and riverine sediments, respectively. The levels of DBDPE exceeded those of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 209) in most of the samples in the study region, whereas the ratio of DBDPE/BDE 209 varied among the four bays. This is indicative of different usage patterns of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and also different hydrodynamic conditions among these bay areas. The spatial distribution and composition profile analysis indicated that BFRs in Jiaozhou Bay and Dalian Bay were mainly from local sources, whereas transport from Laizhou Bay by coastal currents was the major source of BFRs in Taozi Bay and Sishili Bay. Both the ∑PBDEs and ∑aBFRs (sum of pentabromotoluene (PBT), 2,3-diphenylpropyl-2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether (DPTE), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), and hexabromobenzene (HBB)) were at low concentrations in all the sediments. This is probably attributable to a combination of factors such as low regional usage of these products, atmospheric deposition patterns, coastal currents transportation patterns, and degradation processes for higher BDE congeners. This paper is the first study that has investigated the levels of DBDPE in the coastal sediments of China's Yellow Sea.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS, Yantai, 264003, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS, Yantai, 264003, China. Electronic address: jhtang@yic.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jianhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz‒Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Max‒Planck‒Strasse 1, Geesthacht, 21502, Germany.
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS, Yantai, 264003, China.
authors.forename: Runmei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS, Yantai, 264003, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Guopei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS, Guangzhou, 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China.
authors.forename: Yongge
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS, Yantai, 264003, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Chongguo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS, Yantai, 264003, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
authors.forename: Gan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001969:Bromobenzenes / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001969:Bromobenzenes; D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; C491509:decabromodiphenyl ethane; D014050:Toluene; C053745:2,3,4,5,6-pentabromotoluene; C010902:decabromobiphenyl ether; C017363:hexabromobenzene
keywords: DBDPE; Dalian Bay; Jiaozhou Bay; PBDEs; Yellow Sea