Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediments of the Daliao River Estuary, China: levels, distribution and their influencing factors

The concentrations, compositional profiles, possible sources of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediments of the Daliao River Estuary as well as the factors influencing the distribution of PBDEs were investigated. The total concentrations of PBDEs ranged from 0.13 to 1.98 ng g⁻¹ d.w. BDE209 was the dominating congener in all sediment samples, indicating the pollution of PBDEs in the Daliao River Estuary mainly came from the use of deca-BDE commercial mixtures. The intrusion of sea waters promoted the deposition of the colloid-associated PBDEs in the estuary. There were significantly negative correlations between PBDE concentration in sediment with pH value and salinity in the bottom water. The higher river flow in the flood season (summer) obviously accelerated the transport of PBDEs, and thereby increased the risk of PBDE contamination to the deep ocean. Moreover, a positive correlation between TOC and PBDE distributions was observed, suggesting that TOC regulated the distributions of PBDEs in sediments of Daliao River Estuary.     

Diffusion of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) from an e-waste recycling area to the surrounding regions in Southeast China

Using Cinnamomum camphora (C. camphora) leaves as biomonitors, we investigated that the diffusion of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from an e-waste recycling area to the surrounding regions. Variance in ∑₃₂PBDEs concentrations (0.46–399.93 ng g⁻¹ dry weight) in the leaves showed that PBDEs from the e-waste recycling area diffused into the surrounding regions, and resulted in a halo of PBDEs contamination, at least 74 km in radius. The attenuation of ∑₃₂PBDEs in the diffusing process fitted in log-linear regression. The difference in the attenuating slopes of linear equations among different directions can be explained by terrain and wind direction. The attenuation of PBDE congeners also fitted well in log-linear regression. The findings that similar attenuating slopes and characteristic travel distance among congeners suggest that the transport behavior of lower brominated congeners might not differ from that of higher brominated congeners in short-range scale.     

Halogenated persistent organic pollutants in deep water fish from waters to the west of Scotland

Halogenated persistent organic pollutants [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)] along with total lipid, were measured in the liver and muscle of three species of deep water fish (black scabbard, black dogfish (liver only) and roundnose grenadier) collected from the Rockall fishing area, to the west of Scotland, between 2006 and 2008. Both contaminant groups were detected in the muscle and liver, with concentrations of PCBs being higher than PBDEs. There were no significant differences in the PCB or PBDE concentrations between the three species, or different sampling locations in the Rockall fishing area. PCB concentrations (ΣICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea)7 PCBs) greater than 500 μg kg⁻¹ lipid weight were found in 26 of the 106 liver samples. PCB concentrations were compared to OSPAR assessment criteria, concentrations were above background but below Environmental Assessment Criteria. Estimated Toxic Equivalent (TEQ) concentrations, calculated using published models, in the fish muscle and liver indicated that consumption of deep water fish is unlikely to represent a risk to human health. The high squalene content in some of the black dogfish liver necessitated an additional clean-up step, involving gel permeation chromatography, when analyzing for PBDEs. Concentrations of PBDEs were low with many congeners being below detection limits, particularly in the muscle. There are currently no assessment criteria available for PBDEs. Furthermore, there is only very limited data on PBDEs in deep water fish. However, the concentrations observed in this study were similar to the concentrations recently reported in Mediterranean deep water fish.     

Metabolic responses of Eisenia fetida after sub-lethal exposure to organic contaminants with different toxic modes of action

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) - based metabolomics has the potential to identify toxic responses of contaminants within a mixture in contaminated soil. This study evaluated the metabolic response of Eisenia fetida after exposure to an array of organic compounds to determine whether contaminant-specific responses could be identified. The compounds investigated in contact tests included: two pesticides (carbaryl and chlorpyrifos), three pharmaceuticals (carbamazephine, estrone and caffeine), two persistent organohalogens (Aroclor 1254 and PBDE 209) and two industrial compounds (nonylphenol and dimethyl phthalate). Control and contaminant-exposed metabolic profiles were distinguished using principal component analysis and potential contaminant-specific biomarkers of exposure were found for several contaminants. These results suggest that NMR-based metabolomics offers considerable promise for differentiating between the different toxic modes of action (MOA) associated with sub-lethal toxicity to earthworms.     

Organohalogen compounds in blubber of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) and spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) from Zanzibar, Tanzania

Blubber samples of Indo-Pacific bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus) and spinner (Stenella longirostris) dolphins from Zanzibar, East Africa, were analyzed for a wide range of organohalogen compounds. Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-BDEs), presumably biogenic, were found at higher concentrations than anthropogenic organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Only traces of industrial pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, were detected. The OCP levels found off Zanzibar were lower than those reported from other regions while MeO-BDE levels were higher. The relative composition of the OCPs indicated recent use of lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane) and aged residues of DDT and technical HCH. Placental transfer was estimated to 2.5% and 0.5% of the total burden of OCPs and MeO-BDEs, respectively. Overall transfer from mother to calf in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins was estimated to 72% and 85% for the OCPs and MeO-BDEs burdens, respectively. Health effects of MeO-BDEs are not known, but structural similarities with well-known environmental toxins are cause for concern.     

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.     

掺混聚甲氧基二甲醚对柴油机排放的影响

为研究聚甲氧基二甲醚（PODE）/柴油混合燃料对柴油机颗粒物（PM）粒径分布和各模态颗粒捕集效率的影响,将PODE按照体积百分比0%、10%、20%和30%与柴油混合,在不对柴油机做任何改动的情况下,进行排放测试,测量NO_x排放和DPF前后的颗粒粒径分布.结果表明：随着PODE掺混比提高,NO_x排放在10%~50%负荷工况下呈上升趋势,75%~100%负荷工况下呈先上升后下降的趋势;NO₂/NO_x随着PODE掺混比的提高呈上升趋势.PODE的添加可有效降低PM排放.与柴油相比,燃用PODE掺混比20%的混合燃料时,降低PM效果最好;100%负荷工况下,PM总数量浓度降低了18.93%,总体积浓度降低了31.27%.掺混PODE,使DPF对PM的捕集效果减弱,10%~50%负荷工况下较为明显,但捕集率依然可以达到95%以上.     

泉州山美水库及入库河流沉积物中多溴二苯醚的时空分异和降解分析

为了解城市水源水库中多溴二苯醚（PBDEs）的时空分异和同系物的降解来源及其贡献,分析了泉州山美水库及入库河流表层沉积物中PBDEs的含量、污染程度、空间分布、水文期变化、赋存量、同系物组成及其降解来源的贡献.结果表明,入库河流沉积物中∑PBDEs中值（1072.1 ng ·g^-1）是山美水库（160.4 ng ·g^-1）的6.7倍,山美水库单位面积沉积物中∑PBDEs的赋存量（80.3 kg ·km^-2）是太湖的6.3倍,北美五大湖的188倍,其污染程度较国内外大多数湖库更严重,且以BDE-209为主（84.5%~99.2%）.水库大多数样点（r为0.564~0.994,P<0.034）及河流各点（r为0.953~1.0,P<0.000）间PBDEs组成相似度较高,入库区和入库河流样点间极显著正相关（r为0.779~0.964,P<0.005）且相关性强于其他功能区,显示入库河流是水库中PBDEs的主污染源.库尾区与入库河流相关性较低（r为0.454~0.915,P≤0.128）,受九都镇影响较大.各样点∑PBDEs水文期变化较一致（r为0.617~0.714,P≤0.077）,但水文期变化对∑PBDEs的影响统计不显著（P=0.178,Two-Way ANOVA）,而点位变化则对∑PBDEs有极显著影响（P=0.0001）,入库区和其他功能区有（近）显著差异（P为0.019~0.061）,表明PBDEs在水库沉积物中的空间分布变异大于水文期变化.PBDEs自然降解从河流到入库区再到库中区逐渐增加,且各级还原脱溴速率不同,部分BDE因其继续降解速率较慢而累积.丰度比值法研究表明,低溴BDE主要源自十溴二苯醚的逐级还原脱溴自然降解.Deca-BDE降解产生的Nona-BDE约70%以上可较快降解生成Octa-BDE,BDE-208约85%源自BDE-209的降解,从Octa-BDE到Penta-BDE的降解过程中,部分Octa-BDE和Hexa-BDE同系物因降解较慢而累积,Penta-BDE到Tri-BDE降解率在70%以上.     

垃圾模拟填埋过程中典型含多溴联苯醚废物污染释放规律

为探索垃圾模拟填埋过程中PBDEs（多溴联苯醚）的污染释放规律,选取填埋场中典型的含PBDEs废物为研究对象,以填埋场渗滤液为浸提剂进行浸出试验,模拟垃圾填埋场处置场景下不同时间、温度和表面活性剂（十二烷基苯磺酸钠）浓度对不同废物（PP-R管材、PE-RT管材、PVC管材、PP塑料板凳、HDPE洗护用品瓶、PP洗衣机、PS电视机和阻燃ABS）中PBDEs释放的影响;采用液液萃取法提取浸出液中的PBDEs,采用气相色谱-质谱法（GC-MS）对21种PBDEs同系物进行定性、定量检测.结果表明:①在浸出120 d内,每种废物中PBDEs的浸出量随时间的延长均逐渐增加,二者呈良好的线性关系,其中BDE209的浸出量远高于其他同系物,最高可达浸出总量的95.2%.②不同废物随温度的变化情况存在差异,其中PP-R、PE-RT管材中PBDEs浸出量随温度的升高而逐渐增加.③由于不同废物对表面活性剂的最适浓度存在差异,致使其浸出规律也存在差异,一定浓度范围内的表面活性剂可能对PBDEs的释放有促进作用,其中以PS电视机中PBDEs的浸出量为最高,为136 553 pg/mL;以PVC管材中PBDEs的浸出量为最低,仅为1 590 pg/mL.研究显示,含PBDEs的生活垃圾在渗滤液作用下的污染释放较为严重,应加强管控.      

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in cord blood from women in Poland

The purpose of this study was to assess human exposure in the prenatal period to selected PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-153) and PCBs (CB-77, CB-101, CB-118, CB-126, CB-138, CB-153, CB-170, CB-180) basing on the analysis of these compounds in cord blood. The experimental material consisted of 89 cord blood samples taken from women resident in Warsaw and its vicinity. In over 90% of all tested samples the presence of congeners CB-153, CB-138, CB-180 and BDE-47 was identified. The least frequently found were CB-126 and BDE-153, which were present at relatively low concentration levels. Among all analysed PCBs, the highest average concentrations were found in the case of congeners CB-138 (11.8 ng/g of fat) and CB-153 (43.4 ng/g of fat), whereas the lowest was in the case of CB-170 (0.4 ng/g of fat) and CB-126 (0.1 ng/g of fat). In the case of PBDEs the greatest share in the total concentration was that of the congeners BDE-47 and BDE-99, whereas the smallest share was that of the higher brominated congener BDE-153. These results suggest that human exposure to the examined compounds begins already in the period of intrauterine life. The comparison of our own results with the findings of other authors indicates that the PCBs and PBDEs levels in cord blood of women living in Poland do not differ from the respective concentrations in cord blood of other female inhabitants of Europe.