Abstract
Abstract. Polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analyzed in bulk atmospheric deposition collected in four European remote mountain areas over a period of two years (2004–2006): Lake Redon (Pyrenees, Catalonia, Spain), Gossenköllesee (Alps, Austria), Lochnagar (Grampian Mountains, Scotland) and Skalnate (Tatras, Slovakia). In all sites, the PBDE distributions were dominated by BDE209. BDE47 and BDE99 were the major low-brominated congeners, followed by BDE100 and BDE183. This composition is consistent with predominant inputs from the commercial mixtures decaBDE and pentaBDE. The total congener site-averaged fluxes ranged between 100 ng m−2 mo−1 (Alps) and 190 ng m−2 mo−1 (Tatras). Significant correlations between PBDE deposition and percent of North Atlantic backwards air mass trajectories in the collected samples of the westernmost sites, Lochnagar and Redon, suggested an impact of transcontinental transfer of these pollutants from North American sources into Europe. Skalnate, and to a lower extent Redon, recorded another main PBDE source from central Europe corresponding to secondary emissions of the pentaBDE commercial mixture. The fluxes of these secondary emissions were temperature dependent and correlated to total particle deposition and rainfall. Higher PBDE fluxes were observed at increasing temperature, particle deposition and precipitation. Another specific PBDE source was observed in United Kingdom and recorded in Lochnagar. Photolytic degradation during transport decreased the relative abundance of BDE209 and modified the emitted pentaBDE technical mixtures by depletion of the relative composition of BDE99 and, to a lower extent, BDE47. The transformations were more intense in the sites located above 2000 m (Redon and Gossenköllesee) and, particularly, during the warm periods.
Highlights
Polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used as flame retardants in a variety of commercial products including polyurethane foam, plastics, electronics, and textile coating in furniture (de Wit, 2002)
The most abundant PBDE congener was BDE209, with fluxes ranging from 71 ng m−2 mo−1 in Gossenköllesee to 162 ng m−2 mo−1 in Skalnate, involving between four and sixfold higher values than the other detected PBDEs (Table 3)
In the other sites the above-mentioned ratios follow closely that of the pentaBDE mixture (Table 6). These results suggest that PBDE mixtures arriving at Redon and Gosseköllesee have been partially photodegraded during their long-range atmospheric transport from distant sources, while in Lochnagar and Skalnate, they may be originated from a nearby source area
Summary
Polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used as flame retardants in a variety of commercial products including polyurethane foam, plastics, electronics, and textile coating in furniture (de Wit, 2002). These additives are mixed with the product during manufacture, not being chemically bound to the material. They can be released into the environment during use and disposal (Prevedouros et al, 2004a; Batterman et al, 2009). L. Arellano et al.: Atmospheric deposition of polybromodiphenyl ethers technical mixtures, pentaBDE, octaBDE and decaBDE. The estimated global emission of these compounds due to the e-waste production was 280 tons at the end of the last decade (Robinson, 2009)
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