Levels of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Flame Retardants in Sediment Cores from Western Europe

Abstract

The levels of 14 brominated diphenyl ether (BDE)-congeners in sediment cores from three locations in Western Europe have been determined by GC/MS (negative chemical ionization mode). Sediments from the Drammenfjord (Norway), the western Wadden Sea (The Netherlands), and the freshwater Lake Woserin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany) showed a time-dependent pattern in the distribution of BDEs since the beginning of the industrial production of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) formulations. Two out of three commercially available PBDE formulations could be distinguished. Starting from the beginning of the 1970s, the penta-mix formulation is clearly present, but the deca-mix formulation is only present since the late 1970s. The octa-mix formulation appeared to be still absent in these sediments, as its marker-congener, BDE183, was never detected. In the cores from the western Wadden Sea and Lake Woserin, all TOC-normalized concentrations of the penta-BDE-derived congeners were leveling off in the most recent sediment layers representing 1995 and 1997, whereas those in the Drammenfjord were still increasing in 1999. The levels of BDE209, however, decreased in the most recent layer of all three cores. In Lake Woserin, the concentrations of BDE209 were much less elevated above those of the tri- to hexa-BDEs than in the other the two areas. This might be due to the absence of a significant PBDE input from sources other than the atmosphere to this rural lake. The absence of all PBDE congeners in the older layers of the three sediment cores, as well as in several 100-150-My-old layers from an extremely organic-rich marine sediment from the Kimmeridge clay formation in Dorset (UK), indicated the absence of natural production of the BDE congeners analyzed.

Vertical Distribution of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Soil Cores Taken from a Typical Electronic Waste Polluted Area in South China

“…But there were detected di-to hepta-BDEs remained in the deepest layers of both cores, especially, the percentage of P di-BDE in the deepest layers of the two cores increased dramatically, which indicated the higher penetrability of lower brominated PBDE than the deca-BDE in soil. And it might contribute to the earlier appearance of lower brominated PBDE in sediment cores (Zegers et al 2003).…”

“…The temporal trends of the occurrence of PBDEs in the environment can also be derived from undisturbed and well-dated sediments in seas or lakes (Zegers et al 2003). Soils represent an important reservoir for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the terrestrial environment and thus the fate of contaminants deposited to the surface soils is important to understand.…”

Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in female common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from western European seas: Geographical trends, causal factors and effects on reproduction and mortality

“…Since many compounds were often below their limit of detection, we finally selected five PBDE congeners (BDE47, BDE99, BDE100, BDE153 and BDE154) for further analysis. For the determination of total (a-, b-, and g-) hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) at NIOZ, elution of the silica column was performed with 30 ml of an 85% pentane/15% diethyl ether mixture, an alteration required particularly for measurement of the b-isomer (Boon et al, 2002;Zegers et al, 2003). Cefas conducted analyses for HBCD on an individual diastereoisomer basis using LCeMS (Law et al, 2006b).…”

Sedimentary record of hydrophobic organic compounds in relation to regional economic development: A study of Taihu Lake, East China

“…PBDEs are a group of brominated compounds that widely used as flame-retardants in furniture and consumer products. The concentration of PBDEs in sediments have increased from the 1960s or 1970s to the 1990s in Europe, North America and Asia (Binelli et al, 2007;Chen et al, 2007;Hites and Zhu, 2005;Sakai et al, 2002;Song et al, 2005;Zegers et al, 2003). Although the use of penta-and octa-BDEs has been restricted in the European Union and in certain parts of the United States (Renner, 2004), a vast number of products containing PBDEs still remain in use.…”