Novel brominated and organophosphate flame retardants in the atmosphere of Fildes Peninsula, West Antarctica: Continuous observations from 2011 to 2020

Abstract

Novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been widely detected in various environmental matrices worldwide and raised public concerns in recent years. However, few studies reported their occurrence and temporal trend in Antarctic air. In this study, concentrations, distribution, and temporal trends of NBFRs and OPEs in the air of Fildes Peninsula, West Antarctica, were investigated using XAD resin-based passive air sampling from January 2011 to January 2020. Air concentrations of the total OPEs (Σ7OPEs) were one to two orders of magnitude higher than those of the total NBFRs (Σ6NBFRs). Decabromodiphenyl ethane and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate were the most abundant NBFR and OPE congeners, respectively. Significant positive correlations were observed among hexabromobenzene, pentabromoethylbenzene, and pentabromotoluene, indicating that their occurrence in Antarctic air may be affected by similar sources. No spatial differences in any of the NBFR and OPE congeners were observed, implying minor impact from local scientific research stations. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the temporal trends of NBFRs and OPEs in Antarctic air, with decreasing trends observed for Σ6NBFRs and Σ7OPEs. This is one of the rare studies providing a comprehensive investigation of the temporal trends in NBFRs and OPEs in Antarctic air and highlights concern regarding the contamination of these chemicals in remote polar regions.