Abstract
The environmental fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a group of flame retardants that are considered to be persistent organic pollutants (POPs), around the Zhuoshui River and Changhua County regions of Taiwan was assessed. An investigation into emissions, partitioning, and fate of selected PBDEs was conducted based on the equilibrium constant (EQC) fugacity model developed at Trent University, Canada. Emissions for congeners PBDE 47, PBDE 99, and PBDE 209 to air (4.9–92 × 10−3 kg/h), soil (0.91–17.4 × 10−3 kg/h), and water (0.21–4.04 × 10−3 kg/h), were estimated by modifying previous models on PBDE emission rates by considering both industrial and domestic rates. It was found that fugacity modeling can give a reasonable estimation of the behavior, partitioning, and concentrations of PBDE congeners in and around Taiwan. Results indicate that PBDE congeners have a high affinity for partitioning into sediments then soils. As congener number decreases, the PBDEs then partition more readily into air. As the degree of bromination increases, congeners more readily partition to sediments. Sediments may then act as a long-term source of PBDEs which can be released back into the water column due to resuspension during storm events.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-016-6428-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic, recalcitrant chemicals which can bioaccumulate and biomagnify over long time periods within ecosystems (Jones and de Voogt 1999)
This study has shown that the use of fugacity modeling can give a reasonable indication of the behavior, partitioning, and concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) congeners in and around Taiwan and reinforces the assumption that they are largely present in the Zhuoshui River area of Taiwan, where a substantial part of Taiwanese industry is based
The model results indicate that PBDE congeners generally have a high affinity for partitioning in soils and sediments and that all congeners will to some extent, in equilibrium conditions, partition in the soils compartment where they become relatively immobile
Summary
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic, recalcitrant chemicals which can bioaccumulate and biomagnify over long time periods within ecosystems (Jones and de Voogt 1999) Due to their persistence, POPs can have the potential to be transported over long distances to previously pristine regions distant to their point of origin (Bennett et al 2001; ter Schure et al 2004a, b). POPs can have the potential to be transported over long distances to previously pristine regions distant to their point of origin (Bennett et al 2001; ter Schure et al 2004a, b) They can cause numerous health effects in humans, such as endocrine disruption and impairment of the immune system but with some being deemed potentially cancer causing (Darnerud 2003). Concerning POP sources, they are often manufactured for a specific purpose, e.g., for use as Environ Sci Pollut Res (2016) 23:13222–13234 flame retardants or pesticides, or they can be created as byproducts of industrial processes such as combustion
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