Skip to main content

Environmental Occurrence and Degradation of Hexabromocyclododecanes

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Green and Sustainable Nanotechnology
  • 45 Accesses

Abstract

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) are used as a fire extinguisher additive mainly for constructing buildings composed of extruded or expanded polystyrene foam. The synthetic profile of HBCD diastereoisomers, on average, was 28%, 13%, and 59% for α-, β-, and γ-HBCD, respectively. Due to persistence, long-distance transportation, biodiversity, and environmental toxicity, cycloaliphatic brominated flame retardant, HBCD (1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane, C12H18Br6), is a global concern and was selected as a type of persistent organic pollutant (POP) under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in 2013. HBCD is a high-volume production brominated flame retardant (BFR) that has been raising environmental concerns and public health issues due to its potential environmental persistence, environmental accumulation, and toxicity. The concentration of HBCD is discharged from various ways, including during production, manufacturing, customer use, waste disposal, landfilling, incineration, and recycling. HBCD is persistent in the air and further migrates up to long-range distances such as the Arctic, where concentrations in the atmosphere and top predators are elevated. HBCD has been found in human plasma, blood, and adipose tissue and at higher trophic levels in biota. HBCD is toxic to aquatic organisms and alters their reproductivity and development and causes deterioration of the central nervous system. Various conventional techniques are used for adsorption and removal of HBCD concentration. However, bioremediation of HBCD by using microorganisms and nanomaterials is a more prominent and advanced method that degrades HBCD into safer and less toxic end products by utilizing natural energy sources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 1,299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Download references

Acknowledgments

One of the authors, Dr. Manviri Rani, is grateful for the financial assistance from the DST-SERB, New Delhi (Sanction order no. SRG/2019/000114), and TEQIP-III MNIT Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. The authors are also thankful to NIT Jalandhar, Punjab.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manviri Rani .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Rani, M., Meenu, Shanker, U. (2023). Environmental Occurrence and Degradation of Hexabromocyclododecanes. In: Shanker, U., Hussain, C.M., Rani, M. (eds) Handbook of Green and Sustainable Nanotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16101-8_81

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics