Occurrence and bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediments and paddy ecosystems of Liaohe River Basin, northeast China

Concentrations of 16 polybrominated diphenyl ether(PBDE) congeners were measured in river sediments, paddy soils and three species of paddy-field organisms(crab, loach and carp) collected from the Liaohe River Basin, northeastern China. The total contents of PBDEs(∑_(16)PBDEs) in sediments and paddy soils were in the ranges of 273.4–3246.3 pg/g dry weight(dw), and 192.1–1783.8 pg/g dw, respectively. BDE 209 was the dominant congener both in sediments and paddy soils. The concentrations of ∑_(16)PBDEs in sediments were significantly higher than those in the adjacent paddy soils, indicating a potential transport of PBDEs from river to paddy ecosystems via river water irrigation. The biota–soil accumulation factor(BSAF) was calculated as the ratio between the lipid-normalized concentration in paddyfield organisms and the total organic carbon-normalized concentration in paddy soil. The average BSAF values of ∑15PBDEs followed the sequence of crab(3.6) loach(3.3) carp(2.1). BDE 154 had the highest BSAF value, and a parabolic trend between BSAF values of individual PBDE congeners and their log KOWvalues was observed. In view of the fact that crab had the larger BSAF value and higher lipid content, the ecological risk and health risk for crab cultivation in paddy fields should be of particular concern.     

Characterization and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in sediments of Haihe River, Tianjin, China

In this study sediment samples were collected from 13 sites of Haihe River in Tianjin City, China, sixteen of priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） listed in USEPA were analyzed by means of GC-MS. The total concentrations of PAH ranged from 774.81 to 255371.91 ng/g dw, and two to four rings of PAHs were dominant in sediment samples. Molecular ratios, such as phenanthrene/anthracene, fluoranthene/pyrene and low-molecular-weight PAH/high-molecular-weight PAH, were used to study the possible sources of pollution. It indicated a mixed pattern of parolytic and petrogenic inputs of PAHs in sediments in Haihe River. The petrogenic PAHs may be mainly derived from the leakage of refined products, e.g., gasoline, diesel fuel and fuel oil vehicle traffics or gas stations from urban area. The pyrolytic PAHs might be from the discharge of industrial wastewater and the emission of atmospheric particles from petrochemical factories. In addition, the levels of PAHs in the urban and industrial areas are far beyond the values reported from other rivers and marine systems reported. This situation may be due to polluted discharging from some petrochemical industrial manufactories and worse traffic conditions in Tianjin.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil from three typical industrial areas in Beijing, China

Areas containing industrial facilities belonging to three different typical industries that may cause pollution by polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in Beijing, China were investigated. Specifically, the areas contained a solid waste incineration plant, a chemical factory, and a heat and power plant. Investigation of the pollution status of PBDEs in the surface soil from areas around these industries revealed the highest concentration of 42 PBDE congeners （118 ng/g, dry mass） at the solid waste incineration plant. In the other two plants, the highest concentrations were both 26 ng/g （dry mass）. Among the PBDE homologues, the PBDE contamination at all sites showed similar congener compositions, with BDE 209 being the dominant congener. Our findings established the first contamination status of three typical industrial areas in Beijing. Furthermore, the total concentrations of 42 PBDE congeners tended to decrease as the distance from the investigated plants increased. Overall, these plants were identified as potential pollution sources of PBDEs in Beijing. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the major PBDE source in Beijing may be associated with the technical deca-BDE and penta-BDE mixture. Based on the data obtained in this preliminary investigation, further study of the potential of these sources to emit PBDEs in Beijing is warranted.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in atmosphere and soil of a production area in China: Levels and partitioning

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in atmosphere and soil samples taken in winter and summer at a PBDE production area of Laizhou Bay in China. The concentrations of P11PBDE were 0.017–1.17 ng/m3 in gaseous phase, 0.5–161.1 ng/m3 in particulate phase, and 73–2629 ng/g dry weight in soil samples. The PBDE congener pattern in the gaseous phase di ered from that in the particulate phase, and the PBDE congener pattern in the particulate phase was similar with that in soil. This demonstrated that there was little di erence with atmospheric particle-soil transfer e ciency among PBDE congeners. In addition, there were seasonal variations in percentages on particle for lower brominated congeners. The BDE-28 was mostly in the gaseous phase in summer (88.3%), whereas the average proportion of BDE-28 in gaseous phase in winter was 38.9%. Higher brominated congeners (i.e., BDE-206, BDE- 207, BDE-208, and BDE-209) were bound to the atmospheric particulate phase, and their potentials for long-range migration were mainly a ected by the environmental behavior of atmospheric particles. Results indicated that PBDE congeners in summer were closer to gas-particle partition equilibrium than in winter. Temperature should be considered the main factor causing nonequilibrium in winter.     

Monitoring of 943 organic micropollutants in wastewater from municipal wastewater treatment plants with secondary and advanced treatment processes

To perform a systematic survey on the occurrence and removal of micropollutants during municipal wastewater treatment, 943 semi-volatile organic chemicals in 32 wastewater samples including influents of secondary treatments, secondary effluents and final effluents(effluents of advanced treatments), which were collected from seven full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants(MWTPs) in China, were examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) coupled with an automated identification and quantification system with a database(AIQS-DB). In total, 196 and 145 chemicals were detected in secondary and final effluents, respectively. The majority of the total concentrations(average removal efficiency, 87.0%±5.9%) of the micropollutants were removed during secondary treatments. However, advanced treatments achieved different micropollutant removal extents from secondary effluents depending on the different treatment processes employed. Highly variable removal efficiencies of total concentrations(32.7%–99.3%) were observed among the different advanced processes. Among them,ozonation-based processes could remove 70.0%–80.9% of the total concentrations of studied micropollutants. The potentially harmful micropollutants, based on their detection frequency and concentration in secondary and final effluents, were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)(2-methylnaphthalene, fluoranthene, pyrene, naphthalene and phenanthrene), phosphorus flame retardants(tributyl phosphate(TBP), tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate(TCEP) and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate(TDCP)), phthalates(bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP)), benzothiazoles(benzothiazole,2-(methylthio)-benzothiazol, and 2(3H)-benzothiazolone) and phenol. This study indicated that the presence of considerable amounts of micropollutants in secondary effluent creates the need for suitable advanced treatment before their reuse.     

Seasonal variations of polybrominated flame retardants bound to car dust under Mediterranean climate

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs) are commercial flame retardants that have been commonly used in vehicle interior to reduce fire-related hazards. Due to high temperatures and intense insolation that can be attained inside cars parked in the sun, additive PBDEs are prone to leach out and attach to in-vehicle dust, as well as to photo-debrominate. This study examines seasonal variations of concentrations of three common PBDE congeners(BDE-47, BDE-99 and BDE-209) in car dust in Israel. The overall concentrations of these BDEs ranged from 1 to 29 μg/g, and were higher in the summer than in the winter(average of 10.2 and5.3 μg/g, respectively). Congener-specific concentrations showed distinct seasonal pattern,representing the interplay between leaching, evaporation and photodebromination. Photolysis of the three congeners, while adsorbed on glass filters and exposed to solar radiation, revealed first order kinetics with debromination rates on the order of 10-2/min. Hence, seasonal variations of the meteorological conditions were found to affect the in-vehicle PBDE concentrations, and are therefore expected also to affect the exposure of passengers to PBDEs.     

Uptake and accumulation of phenanthrene and pyrene in spiked soils by Ryegrass(Lolium perenne L.)

Phytoremediation has long been recognized as a cost-effective method for the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） from soil. A study was conducted to investigate the uptake and accumulation of PAHs in root and shoot of Lolium perenne L. Pot experiments were conducted with series of concentrations of 3.31-378.37 mg/kg for phenanthrene and those of 4.22-365.38 mg/kg for pyrene in a greenhouse. The results showed that both ryegrass roots and shoots did take up PAHs from spiked soils, and generally increased with increasing concentrations of PAH in soil. Bioconcentration factors（BCFs） of phenanthrene by shoots and roots were 0.24- 4.25 and 0.17-2.12 for the same treatment. BCFs of pyrene by shoots were 0.20-1.5, except for 4.06 in 4.32 mg/kg treatment, much lower than BCFs of pyrene by roots （0.58-2.28）. BCFs of phenanthrene and pyrene tended to decrease with increasing concentrations of phenanthrene and pyrene in soil. Direct uptake and accumulation of these compounds by Lolium perenne L. was very low compared with the other loss pathways, which meant that plant-promoted microbial biodegradation might be the main contribution to plant-enhanced removal of phenanthrene and pyrene in soil. However, the presence of Lolium perenne L. significantly enhanced the removal of phenanthrene and pyrene in spiked soil. At the end of 60 d experiment, the extractable concentrations of phenanthrene and pyrene were lower in planted soil than in non-planted soil, about 83.24%-91.98% of phenanthrene and 68.53%-84.10% of pyrene were removed from soils, respectively. The results indicated that the removal of PAHs in contaminated soils was a feasible approach by using Lolium perenne L.     

Accumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in breast milk of women from an e-waste recycling center in China

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs) can be transferred to infants through the ingestion of breast milk, resulting in potential health risk. In this study, PBDEs, hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers(OH-PBDEs) and 2,2′,4,4′,5,6′-hexachlorobiphenyl(CB-153)in human milk from women living adjacent to e-waste recycling sites of Wenling,China, were investigated. The median level of PBDEs in samples from residents living in the e-waste recycling environment 20 years(R_20group, 19.5 ng/g lipid weight(lw))was significantly higher than that for residents living in Wenling 3 years(R_3group,3.88 ng/g lw)(p 0.05), likely ascribable to specific exposure to PBDEs from e-waste recycling activities. In the R_20 group, most congeners(except for BDE-209) were correlated with each other(p 0.05). Moreover, CB-153 showed significant association with most PBDE congeners, rather than BDE-209. The relationship indicated that most BDE congeners other than BDE-209 shared common sources and/or pathways with CB-153, e.g., dietary ingestion. The correlations between BDE-209 and other congeners were different in the two groups, likely suggesting their different exposure sources and/or pathways for PBDEs.Although estimated dietary intake of PBDEs for infants via breast milk was lower than the minimum value affecting human health, the PBDE exposure of infants should be of great concern because of their potential effect on the development of neonates over long-term exposure. OH-PBDEs were not detected in the collected samples, which is in accordance with reports in published literature, likely indicating that they were not apt to be accumulated in human milk.     

Photocatalytic degradation of dye effluent by titanium dioxide pillar pellets in aqueous solution

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process is an effective way to deal with organic pollutants in wastewater which could be difficult to be degraded by conventional biological treatment methods. Normally the TiO2 powder in nanometre size range was directly used as photocatalyst for dye degradation in wastewater. However the titanium dioxide powder was arduous to be recovered from the solution after treatment. In this application, a new form of TiO2(i. e. pillar pellets ranging from 2.5 to 5.3 mm long and with a diameter of 3.7 mm) was used and investigated for photocatalytic degradation of textile dye effluent. A test system was built with a flat plate reactor(FPR) and UV light source(blacklight and solar simulator as light source respectively) for investigating the effectiveness of the new form of TiO2. It was found that the photocatalytic process under this configuration could efficiently remove colours from textile dyeing effluent. Comparing with the TiO2 powder, the pellet was very easy to recovered from the treated solution and can be reused in multiple times without the significant change on the photocatalytic property. The results also showed that to achieve the same photocatalytic performance, the FPR area by pellets was about 91% smaller than required by TiO2 powder. At least TiO2 pellet could be used as an alternative form of photocatalyst in applications for textile effluent treatment process, also other wastewater treatment processes.     

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations on the bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by Prorocentrum donghaiense

The growth, cellular total lipids, bioaccumulation amount, and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of 2,4,4 ′ -tribromodiphenyl ether (BDE28), 2,2 ′ ,4,4 ′ -tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47), and 2,2 ′ ,4,4 ′ ,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE99) in a semi-continuous culture of Prorocentrum donghaiense were studied in relation to nitrate (0, 128, and 512 μmol/L) and phosphate (0, 8, and 32 μmol/L) concentrations. The BDE28, BDE47, and BDE99 content per cell under 0 μmol N/L were 3.77 × 10 6 , 3.95 × 10 6 , and 4.32 × 10 6 ng/cell, respectively, which were significantly higher than those under 128 and 512 μmol N/L. A nearly 5-fold increase in polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) content per algal cell was found between 0 and 8 μmol P/L and between 8 and 32 μmol P/L. With increasing N and P concentrations, the PBDE content per volume of algal culture and the accumulation percentage of available PBDEs declined slightly. The BAFs for the PBDEs based on lipids showed that the logBAF lip under 0 μmol N/L was higher than those under 128 and 512 μmol N/L. The logBAF lip under 0 μmol P/L was higher than that under 8 μmol P/L but lower than that under 32 μmol P/L. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between nutrient concentration and cellular total lipids, as well as the PBDE content per cell. The results indicate that different N and P concentrations change the total lipids content of P. donghaiense, thereby resulting in varying PBDE accumulation.     

Advanced treatment of dyeing wastewater towards reuse by the combined Fenton oxidation and membrane bioreactor process

The performance of combined Fenton oxidation and membrane bioreactor (MBR) process for the advanced treatment of an effluent from an integrated dyeing wastewater treatment plant was evaluated. The experimental results revealed that under the optimum Fenton oxidation conditions (initial pH 5, H 2 O 2 dosage 17 mmol/L, and Fe 2+ 1.7 mmol/L) the average total organic carbon (TOC) and color removal ratios were 39.3% and 69.5% after 35 min of reaction, respectively. Results from Zahn-Wallens Test also represented that Fenton process was effective to enhance the biodegradability of the test wastewater. As for the further purification of MBR process, TOC removal capacity was examined at different hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 10, 18 and 25 hr. Under the optimum HRT of 18 hr, the average TOC concentration and color of the final MBR effluent were 16.8 mg/L and 2 dilution time, respectively. The sludge yield coefficient was 0.13 g MLSS/g TOC and TOC degradation rate was 0.078 kg TOC/(m 3 ·day). The final effluent of MBR can meet the reuse criteria of urban recycling water-water quality standard for miscellaneous water consumption GBT18920-2002.     

Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and decabromodiphenylethane in surface sediments from Fuhe River and Baiyangdian Lake, North China

Nineteen surface sediment samples collected from Baiyangdian Lake and its inflowing river (Fuhe River) in North China were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE). The concentrations of PBDEs and DBDPE in sediments ranged from 5.5 to 300.7 ng/g dry weight (dw) and 1.1 to 68.2 ng/g dw, respectively. Their levels in sediments in Fuhe River were significantly higher than those in Baiyandian Lake. Compared to data from other regions, the PBDE levels in surface sediments from Baiyangdian Lake and Fuhe River were in the medium to lower range. Among the PBDE congeners, BDE209 was predominant, with contributions to the total PBDEs ranging from 79.4% to 97.3% in sediment samples. For the lowly brominated congeners (tri- to hepta-BDE), BDE47 and BDE99 were the most abundant, which contributed 52.1% and 44.1% to the sum of tri- to hepta-BDEs in the sediments from Baiyangdian Lake and Fuhe River, respectively. The compositional patterns of PBDEs in Baiyangdian Lake sediments indicated that technical deca-BDE mixture was the major pollutant sources with a minor contribution of penta-BDE mixture. The present study suggested that the importance of Fuhe River as a possibly potential sources of PBDEs contamination in Baiyangdian Lake.     

中国东北主要河流沉积物中多溴二苯醚的含量状况及生态风险分析

为揭示多溴二苯醚(PBDEs)在东北主要河流流域内的污染现状,通过采集该地区流域内表层沉积物样品,采用GC-NCIMS技术对沉积物中41种PBDEs同类物进行分析.结果发现沉积物中BDE209含量低于检出限,其它40种PBDEs同类物总含量(不包含BDE209)范围(干重)为0.91~17.67 ng·g-1.其中第二松花江吉林市上游和下游沉积物样品中PBDEs的检出含量最高,分别为15.86 ng·g-1、17.67 ng·g-1,以BDE207和BDE47为主,分别占PBDEs总量的86.5%和76.6%;其它河流沉积物中各同族体含量差异并不明显.实验结果与国内外最近的文献报道值相比较,再结合生态风险分析显示,东北主要河流沉积物中PBDEs的含量处于低污染水平,目前不存在生态风险.     

海河流域14条河流表层沉积物中多溴联苯醚的分布特征

海河流域是我国受人类活动扰动强度最大的地区,为了解多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）在该流域的污染现状与分布特征,通过采集14条主要河流的48个表层沉积物样品,采用高分辨的GC-MS/MS技术对干燥后的沉积物中27种PBDEs进行分析.结果发现沉积物中PBDEs的平均含量范围为0.06～2.10 ng·g^-1;其中徒骇河沉积物...     

多溴联苯醚在电子废弃物拆卸地沉积物中的垂直分布

采用气相色谱质谱联用仪对采自清远电子废弃物拆卸地水库钻孔沉积物中的多溴联苯(polybrominated diphenyl ethers,PBDEs)进行了分析,调查其在沉积物中的垂直分布.结果表明,PBDEs在所有的样品中均检出,含量为0.43～141 ng/g,平均为9.26 ng/g.PBDEs在下层(16 cm以下)沉积物中含量较低、变化很小(0.43～2.30 ng/g),但在上层沉积物中含量明显增加(2.90～141 ng/g),反映了当地电子废弃物拆卸活动的影响;3种工业源的PBDEs,即五溴、八溴和十溴PBDEs,表现出相似的垂向分布趋势,说明其来源的一致性.其中,十溴PBDEs是最主要的PBDEs,平均占所有PBDEs的79.6%,其次是五溴PBDEs(14.7%),而八溴PBDEs所占比例最低(5.69%).3种PBDEs的组成模式显示,它们与相应的工业品PBDEs组成都有一定差异,可能因其降解行为不同所致.一些PBDE的同族体组成在沉积钻孔的垂直变化也进一步说明高溴代PBDE在沉积物的埋藏期间可能发生了降解,虽然还需要进一步研究证实.     

多溴联苯醚在桂花鱼体内的分布

使用 GC-MS-NCI检测方法对持久性有机污染物多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)的同系物BDE28,47,66,85,99,100,138,153,154,183,209 在桂花鱼体内的含量及分布进行了研究．结果表明,Σ₁₀ PBDEs（不包括BDE209）在肾脏中含量最高,肌肉中含量最低,其干重平均值分别为5.71 ng·g^-1 和0.95 ng·g^-1．Σ₁₀ PBDEs在肾脏、鱼鳔、肝脏、鱼鳃、生殖腺、鱼皮、肠胃和肌肉中的干重含量分别为3.04～12.8、0.81～6.90、1.28～8.87、0.09～6.36、1.05～5.73、0.022～5.06、0.69～5.98和0.14～2.61 ng·g^-1．Σ₁₀ PBDEs在各组织和器官的含量顺序为: 肾脏、鱼鳔、肝脏> 鱼鳃、生殖腺> 肠胃、肌肉、鱼皮．桂花鱼体所含低溴取代 PBDEs 以 BDE47 为主要同系物,所占丰度为35.7%～65.6%．十溴取代物 BDE209 在所有样品中检出率为 45.2%,其中在肾脏和生殖腺中含量较高．研究表明,PBDEs 由摄食、呼吸2种主要途径进入桂花鱼体内,易富集在肝脏、鱼鳔、鱼鳃等脂肪含量较高的组织和器官中．     

珠江三角洲及南海北部海域表层沉积物中多溴联苯醚的分布特征

自珠江三角洲和南海北部海域采集了66个表层沉积物样品,以研究该区域中PBDEs的含量、分布、来源和在环境中的迁移.研究结果表明,东江和珠江是PBDEs的高污染区,含量为12.7～7361ng·g-1,其中BDE209平均含量为1199ng·g-1,是目前世界上已报道沉积物中含量最高的区域之一.在几乎所有被分析的样品中BDE209都是最主要的同系物.东江和珠江的PBDEs主要来自东莞和广州的本地排放,而西江的PBDEs主要通过大气的传播输入.另一个高污染区澳门水域被验证是珠江三角洲水体环境中有机污染物的“汇”.