Environmental Fate and Toxicity of Three Brominated Flame Retardants in Aquatic Mesocosms (original) (raw)
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Current Levels and Trends of Brominated Flame Retardants in the Environment
The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 2010
Intensive study of the environmental occurrence and impacts of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) began during the 1990s, while the number of investigations reported has increased year-on-year. In this chapter, we review recent literature concerning levels and trends of BFRs in environmental samples, mainly published between 2008 and early 2010. In many areas of the world, controls have been put in place regarding the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and environmental concentrations are beginning to fall as a result. Investigations into the potential impacts of TBBP-A in Asia, around sites of manufacture and first use, are still required in order to assess the risks of continued production and use. The use of "novel" BFRs is being studied in order to assess their significance and potential impacts, as their environmental presence has been noted recently in a number of studies. New sources have emerged, such as e-waste recycling operations. In addition, secondary sources, such as glacier ice and permafrost soils, might become increasingly important in the future as a result of climate change. There is still concern that BDE209 (from the deca-mix PBDE technical product) may be debrominated in the environment to yield lower brominated BDE congeners, particularly as a large reservoir of BDE209 is accumulating in sediments. Even today, many ecosystems and regions are not studied well enough for us to be able to establish a global overview concerning BFR concentrations and their toxic effects.
Chemosphere, 2014
Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) are major brominated flame retardants (BFRs) that are now banned or under restrictions in many countries because of their persistence, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity (PBT properties). However, there is a wide range of alternative BFRs, such as decabromodiphenyl ethane and tribromophenol, that are increasingly used as replacements, but which may possess similar hazardous properties. This necessitates hazard and risk assessments of these compounds. For a set of 36 alternative BFRs, we searched 25 databases for chemical property data that are needed as input for a PBT assessment. These properties are degradation half-life, bioconcentration factor (BCF), octanol-water partition coefficient (K ow ), and toxic effect concentrations in aquatic organisms. For 17 of the 36 substances, no data at all were found for these properties. Too few persistence data were available to even assess the quality of these data in a systematic way. The available data for K ow and toxicity show surprisingly high variability, which makes it difficult to identify the most reliable values. We propose methods for systematic evaluations of PBT-related chemical property data that should be performed before data are included in publicly available databases. Using these methods, we evaluated the data for K ow and toxicity in more detail and identified several inaccurate values. For most of the 36 alternative BFRs, the amount and the quality of the PBT-related property data need to be improved before reliable hazard and risk assessments of these substances can be performed.
Chemosphere, 2006
Concentrations of two types of brominated flame-retardants (BFRs); polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were determined in a single age class of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) collected from the Laurentian Great Lakes in 1997. Mean concentrations of total PBDE were highest in samples from Lake Ontario at 95 AE 22 ng=g wet weight (ww) or 434 AE 100 ng=g lipid weight (lw) while the lowest concentrations were observed in Lake Erie lake trout ð27 AE 8:6 ng=g ww; 117 AE 37 ng=g lwÞ. In all samples, the predominant PBDE congeners were 2; 2 0 ; 4; 4 0 -tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), 2; 2 0 ; 4; 4 0 ; 5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99), and 2; 2 0 ; 4; 4 0 ; 6-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-100), which are the primary components of the commonly used penta-BDE formulation flame retardant. Lake trout collected from Lake Huron had the highest concentrations of PBBs ð3:1 AE 1:7 ng=g ww; 15 AE 8:5 ng=g lwÞ, while the lowest levels were detected in fish from Lake Superior ð0:25 AE 0:13 ng=g ww; 1:7 AE 0:89 ng=g lwÞ. In all lake trout samples, 2; 2 0 ; 4; 4 0 ; 5; 5 0 -hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153), a major constituent of the flame-retardant FireMaster BP-6 â , was the predominant PBB congener. Ó
Physiochemical Properties and Environmental Levels of Legacy and Novel Brominated Flame Retardants
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 'novel' brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) are synthetic chemicals widely used in consumer products to enhance their ignition resistance. Since in most applications, these chemicals are used additively, they can transfer from such products into the environment. PBDEs have been classified as significant pollutants in the environment. Knowledge of PBDE and NBFR physicochemical properties provides information about their potential environmental fate and behaviour. This chapter highlights the most important physiochemical properties such as molecular weight, vapour pressure, octanol/air partitioning coefficient, octanol/water partition coefficient, water solubility and organic carbon/water partitioning coefficient that influence the distribution pattern of these contaminants in the environment. In addition, this chapter provides an evaluation of the concentrations of these chemicals in various environmental media such as indoor and outdoor air, indoor dust, soil and sediment, sewage sludge, biota and food, and human tissues.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used as additive or reactive components in a variety of polymers including high-impact polystyrene and epoxy resins, commercial products such as computers, electronics and electrical equipment, thermal insulation, textiles and furniture foam. There were over 75 different BFRs in the market; some of them were restricted/banned from production and use due to their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and toxic effects on organisms. Of the many BFRs still on the market, brominated bisphenols, decabrominated diphenyl ethers, and cyclododecanes are three major classes which represent the highest production volumes. Recent studies have revealed that environmental contamination and toxic health effects by high production volume BFRs continues to be of concern. Trend monitoring studies are useful in understanding the historical perspectives, current status and also help to predict future trends of environmental contamination by these compounds. This chapter deals with the environmental contamination status and temporal trends of polybrominated diphenylethers in a variety of environmental and biological matrices, including soil, sediment, wildlife, marine and terrestrial mammals from Pacific Basin countries.
Environment International, 2003
The levels of the brominated flame retardants (BFRs) hexabromocyclododecane (α, β and γHBCD diastereoisomers) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) have been determined in two studies using LC-MS/MS. The methodology developed was validated in-house and used to analyse UK 2004 Total Diet Study (TDS) samples and shellfish (oysters, mussels and scallops) collected from Scotland. HBCD was detected in most samples, and in both studies the αHBCD diastereoisomer was generally the most abundant as opposed to the γ diastereoisomer that tends to dominate in environmental samples and manufactured products. It is reported that selective metabolism or biotransformation of the β and γ diastereoisomers may be taking place. TBBPA was not detected in any samples above the limit of detection, which was as low as 0.05 µg/kg. This may be because TBBPA, unlike HBCD, is chemically bound to the polymer matrix during manufacture so is not readily available for leaching. The UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) concluded that the concentrations of HBCD and TBBPA detected in the TDS study did not raise toxicological concerns and as levels in the shellfish samples were in the similar concentration range, it was concluded that exposure to the BFRs measured is not significant when compared to exposure from the rest of the diet.
Novel Brominated Flame Retardants in the Environment: a Review
Proceedings of the …, 2010
Introduction To date, at least 75 different brominated flame retardants (Leonards et al., 2008) have been produced. So far, studies have been primarily restricted to three groups: PBDEs, HBCDs, and TBBP-A. Recently some information has become available for other novel ...