Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers In Soils Research Articles

Occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil from the central Loess Plateau, China: Role of regional range atmospheric transport

Very few studies were conducted in highland and depositional areas in studying the transport and behavior of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In this study, surface soils were collected from Huan County to investigate the level, profile, and potential influence of PBDEs via regional range atmospheric transport in the central part of the Loess Plateau (CLP) of China, one of the most extensive areas of loess deposition in the world. PBDEs were ubiquitous and log-normally distributed in soils from the CLP with mean concentrations of 0.91 and 0.54 ng g −1 for ΣPBDEs (sum of PBDE congeners except for BDE-209) and BDE-209, respectively. BDE-209 was predominated congener (43.5%), followed by BDE-47 (15.7%), 99 (10.7%), and 153 (7.5%). Further principal component analysis on congener profiles showed that PBDEs in the CLP originated from similar source(s). Additionally, significant differences in the ratios of BDE-47 to 99 and BDE-153 to 154 were found between soil samples and commercial products, indicating that they have undergone fractionation during the process of regional range atmospheric transport. The deposition of PBDEs in the CLP could be influenced by the sources from surrounding regions. For example, Xi’an may have potential influence to the CLP based on geographical analysis and concentrations comparison of PBDEs in gaseous. Therefore, more studies are needed to clarify the atmospheric transport and fate of PBDEs in this region.

Occurrence, distribution, and source of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil and leaves from Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in soil and three plant species samples taken at different land use areas in Shenzhen China. The concentrations of Σ(7)BDEs (BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154, and BDE-183) and BDE-209 in the surface soils ranged from 0.23 to 271 and 8.9 to 5,956 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. These figures are comparable to that in the soils of electronic waste dismantling sites. BDE-209 was the predominant congener (contributes 85-99% of Σ(8)PBDEs (Σ(7)PBDEs plus BDE-209)) in soils. The regression slopes of total organic carbon and individual BDE congeners were rather gentle, indicating that factors other than soil organic matter regulated the soil concentrations. Proximity to sources of deposition processes might be the major factors. In the plant leaves, Σ(7)BDEs and BDE-209 concentrations ranged from 1.29 to 5.91 and 5.49 to 28.2 ng/g dw, respectively. BDE-209 is also the dominant component, but the contribution was much lower compared with that in soils. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. and Michelia alba DC. show some similarities on the uptake of PBDEs, while Ficus microcarpa var. pusillifolia is different from them. The correlations between plant leaf concentrations and predicted gaseous concentrations were moderate, indicating that gaseous concentration did not influence the leaf concentration significantly.

Persistence of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Agricultural Soils after Biosolids Applications

This study examines polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) levels, trends in biosolids from a wastewater treatment plant, and evaluates potential factors governing PBDE concentrations and the fate in agricultural soils fertilized by biosolids. The mean concentration of the most abundant PBDE congeners in biosolids ( summation operatorBDE-47, BDE-99, and BDE-209) generated by one wastewater treatment plant was 1250 +/- 134 microg/kg d.w. with no significant change in concentration over 32 months (n = 15). In surface soil samples from the Mid-Atlantic region, average PBDE concentrations in soil from fields receiving no biosolids (5.01 +/- 3.01 microg/kg d.w.) were 3 times lower than fields receiving one application (15.2 +/- 10.2 microg/kg d.w.) and 10 times lower than fields that had received multiple applications (53.0 +/- 41.7 microg/kg d.w.). The cumulative biosolids application rate and soil organic carbon were correlated with concentrations and persistence of PBDEs in soil. A model to predict PBDE concentrations in soil after single or multiple biosolids applications provides estimates which fall within a factor of 2 of observed values.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in background surface soils from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China: occurrence, sources, and inventory

Very few data for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were available in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most developed and urbanized region in China. In this study, Chongming Island, located at the estuary of the Yangtze River, was selected as background area to investigate the occurrence, sources, and inventory of PBDEs. Forty-two PBDE congeners were determined in surface soils from farmland, woodland, grassland, tideland, and road collected in Chongming Island. The mean concentrations of Sigma26PBDE (not including BDE-209) and BDE-209 in soils were 0.76 and 12 ng/g dry weight, respectively. BDE-209 contributed more than 90% of the total of 27 frequently detected BDE congeners, followed by BDE-99 and BDE-47. Weak correlations were found between total organic carbon content and PBDE congeners concentrations in surface soils. PBDE levels varied with land use. Farmland and woodland soils contained higher Sigma26PBDE concentrations. BDE-209 levels were the highest in road soils. The mass inventories of PBDEs in soils of Chongming Island were estimated at 3.1 and 310 kg for Sigma26PBDEs and BDE-209, respectively. The PBDE levels in Chongming Island were similar to those in European background soils, suggesting minimum influence of pollutants from the YRD via air, and wastewater inputs or few PBDE products were used herein. From the standpoint of eco-inland, more studies are needed to explore the reasons of PBDE difference by land use and to assess people intake PBDEs via agriculture products consumption in this region.

Effect of sewage sludges contaminated with polybrominated diphenylethers on agricultural soils

The fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sewage sludge after agricultural application was analysed. This study was based on the analysis of sewage sludge and sludge amended soil samples collected during 2005. PBDE concentrations in sewage sludge ranged from 197 to 1185 ng/g dry weight (dw), being deca-BDE-209 the predominant congener. PBDE levels in soils ranged between 21 and 690 ng/g dw, being BDE-209 also the predominant congener in all soil samples. Sewage-sludge amendment at the research stations increased concentrations of all BDE congeners 1.2- to 45-fold, with the highest increases for BDE-209. Results obtained evidenced the cumulative effect of the sludge application rates. Moreover, high levels found at soils four years after the last sludge application indicate persistence of PBDEs in soils, including deca-BDE-209.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Watershed Soils of the Pearl River Delta, China: Occurrence, Inventory, and Fate

Soils play an important role in the distribution and biogeochemical cycling of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as they are a major reservoir and sink for PBDEs due to their large sorption capacity. In this study, concentrations, compositional profiles, mass inventories, and fate of sigma9PBDEs (28, 47, 66, 100, 99, 154, 153, 138, 183) and BDE 209 were investigated in 33 surface soils, six profile soils, and three point-source polluted soils (close to e-waste dismantling sites) from the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. The concentrations of sigma9PBDEs and BDE 209 in the surface soils ranged from 0.13 to 3.81 ng/g with an average of 1.02 ng/g and from 2.38 to 66.6 ng/g with an average of 13.8 ng/g, respectively, and ranged from 1.93 to 19.5 ng/g and from 25.7 to 102 ng/g, respectively, in the point-source contaminated soils. The PBDE compositional patterns in the surface soils indicated deca-BDE, penta-BDE, and octa-BDE products as the main sources, but those in the point-source samples suggested deca-BDE and octa-BDE technical mixtures as the dominant sources. The mass inventories of PBDEs in soils of the PRD were estimated at 3.98 and 44.4 t for sigma9PBDEs and BDE 209, respectively. The average loading of PBDEs in the soils was comparable to that in the sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, suggesting that soil erosion and surface runoff are an important mode to transport PBDEs from terrestrial sources to oceans in the PRD. Individual BDE congeners, sigma9PBDEs, and PBDE 209, were significantly correlated with total organic carbon (TOC), and a good regression (except for BDE 47) between the logarithms of TOC-normalized BDE average concentrations and their log K(ow) was also obtained, indicating that sorption of PBDEs on soil organic matter governed their spatial distribution, transportation, and fate in the soils. Predicted aqueous and gaseous concentrations of PBDEs were derived from the soil-water and soil-air partitioning models, respectively, and good agreements were obtained between the predicted and previously reported values. BDE 47 and/or 28 did not appear to follow the same trend for these models, an indication that an portion of them was likely the biodegradation byproducts in soils.

Analysis of PBDEs in Soil, Dust, Spiked Lake Water, and Human Serum Samples by Hollow Fiber-Liquid Phase Microextraction Combined with GC-ICP-MS

A novel method for the analysis of four polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in environmental and human serum samples based on hollow fiber-liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) followed by gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (GC-ICP-MS) detection has been developed. The organic solvent in the porous hollow fiber was first dipped into the sample for extraction at a given time, and the retracted organic phase was introduced into the GC-ICP-MS for analysis. The addition of methanol has a strong effect on the HF-LPME extraction efficiency. Other significant parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of HF-LPME were also studied. HF-LPME was effective to isolate the analytes from the complex matrix. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of the proposed method varied from 15.2 to 40.5 ng/L. In general, the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 10%. Good linearity was obtained with the correlation coefficients all better than 0.999. The proposed method is simple, quick, few microliters of organic solvent required, and is especially suitable for the analysis of the real sample with small amount available. The overall process of HF-LPME with GC-ICP-MS was applied successfully for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in environmental and spiked human serum samples, and the results were satisfactory.

Fate of pentabrominated diphenyl ethers in soil: abiotic sorption, plant uptake, and the impact of interspecific plant interactions.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are potentially harmful and persistent environmental pollutants. Despite evidence that soils are a major sink for PBDEs, little is known regarding their behavior in this medium. An environmentally relevant level of a commercial penta-BDE mixture (75 microg kg(-1)) was added to topsoil, and the extractability of three congeners (BDE-47, -99, and -100) was monitored over 10 weeks in planted and unplanted treatments. The extractability of each congener decreased rapidly in the experimental soil due largely to abiotic sorption to soil particles, which was demonstrated by low PBDE recovery from sterilized and dry soils. Monoculture plantings of zucchini and radish did not affect the recovery of PBDEs from soil. However, PBDE recovery from mixed species plantings was nearly 8 times higher than that of unplanted and monoculture treatments, indicating that interspecific plant interactions may enhance PBDE bioavailablity in soil. Evidence for competitive interactions between the two species was revealed by reduced shoot biomass of zucchini plants in mixed treatments relative to pots containing only zucchini. Both plant species accumulated PBDEs in root and shoot tissue (<5 microg kg(-1) plant tissue). PBDE uptake was higher in zucchini, and translocation of PBDEs to zucchini shoots was congener-specific. Our results suggest that although abiotic sorption may limit the potential for human exposure to PBDEs in soil, plants may increase the exposure risk by taking up and translocating PBDEs into aboveground tissues and by enhancing bioavailability in soil.

Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil by ultrasonic assisted extraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil was developed. Soil samples were placed in small glass columns and PBDEs extracted from soil, with a low volume of ethyl acetate (5 mL, 2× 15 min), assisted by sonication. PBDEs were determined by gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometric detection in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC–MS–SIM) and residues were confirmed by their retention times, selected ions and qualifier–target abundance ratios. Recovery studies were performed at 10, 1, 0.1 and 0.05 μg/kg fortification levels, and the recoveries obtained ranged from 81 to 104% with a relative standard deviation between 1 and 9%. The detection limit of the method varied from 2 to 30 pg/g and the quantification limit ranged from 7 to 100 pg/g for the different PBDEs studied. The developed method was linear over the range assayed, 0.01–10 μg/kg with determination coefficients equal or higher than 0.997. The proposed method was used to determine PBDEs levels in soil samples from different areas of Spain and PBDEs were detected in some samples with values ranging from 1.3 to 5.6 μg/kg.

Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil from e-waste recycling site

Soil samples collected from an electronic waste recycling site were prepared by using Soxhlet extraction and multiple-step column chromatographic clean-up. Gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry method was developed to determine polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the sample extracts. The method performance was evaluated by the recovery of 13C-labeled internal standards and by analyzing quality assurance and quality control samples. Relative error and relative standard deviation obtained from the analysis of duplicated samples and spiked matrix were better than 10%. PBDEs were detected in the field soil samples collected from an e-wastes disposal site at levels from low parts-per-billions to 600 parts-per-billions.

Effect of Sewage-Sludge Application on Concentrations of Higher-Brominated Diphenyl Ethers in Soils and Earthworms

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), including octa-decaBDEs, were found in soil and earthworm samples collected in 2000 from three research stations (reference plots and sewage-sludge-amended plots) and two farms (reference and amended/flooded soils) in Sweden. Sewage-sludge amendment at the research stations increased concentrations of all BDE congeners 2- to 13-fold, with the highest increases for BDE-209. Concentrations 100-to 1000-fold higher were seen in contaminated soils at both farms. BDE-209 was the predominant congener in all soils. sigmaPBDE concentrations in worms ranged from 3.1 to 38 000 ng/g lipid weight and were correlated to soil concentrations, including the octa-decaBDEs. Biota-soil accumulation factors declined in the following order: TeBDE > PeBDE > HxBDE > OcBDE > NoBDE > DeBDE, and ranged from 0.3 to 2 for the octa-decaBDEs. Thus, higher-brominated PBDEs, including BDE-209, are bioavailable from soils and accumulate in earthworms, presenting an exposure pathway into the terrestrial food web. High levels found at one farm 20 years after the last use of PBDEs indicate high persistence of PBDEs in soils, including BDE-209. No evidence of photolytic debromination of BDE-209 in soils was seen.

Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil and sediment from an electronic waste recycling facility

Soil and sediment collected in the vicinity of an open electronic waste disposal and recycling facility located in Guiyu, Guangdong, China, were analyzed for the levels of common polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by using soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The PBDEs were detected in the soil and sediment samples at levels of 0.26–824 ng/g (dry weight). The obtained isomer profiles of PBDEs from the two soil samples collected from different contamination sites were found to be similar to various technical formulations of fire retardant products.

Gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry applied for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil

A gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/ITMS) method was developed for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). ITMS parameters were optimized in order to achieve the best sensitivity for the PBDE analysis. Tandem mass spectrometry, along with an isotope dilution internal standard method, was used for the quantitation. Chromatographic windows were developed for mono- to hepta-BDEs, depending on the retention times when a 30-m GC column was used. A different 15-m column was used to analyze deca-BDE. Environmental soil samples collected from an electronic waste recycling site were prepared by using Soxhlet extraction and column chromatographic cleanup. Average recoveries of 61-118% were obtained for the 13C-labeled PBDE internal standards spiked in the samples prior to sample preparation. The accuracy represented by relative analytical errors was -24% to 18%, and the precision (relative standard deviation) was 11-26% (n=8). The method detection limits ranged from 0.013-0.25 ng/g for the PBDEs in soil.