Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in air and fallouts from an e-waste polluted region in southeast China: insight into levels, compositional profiles, and seasonal variation

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Air and fallout samples were collected seasonally in an e-waste polluted region in southeast of China in 2013–2014. The annual polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) concentrations in air and fallout samples were 200 ± 162 pg m−3 and 320 ± 255 ng g−1, respectively. The deposition flux calculated from the fallout concentration was 110 ± 77.3 ng m−2 day−1. The PBDE levels and deposition fluxes of the samples deployed within the e-waste central area were three to four times higher than those in the surrounding area. The congener profiles in the air samples could be commonly found in commercial penta-BDE mixtures. BDE209 was the most dominant congener in fallout samples. Debromination processes were confirmed to occur both in the air and fallouts due to the minor amounts or inexistence of some congeners in technical PBDE products. The highest gaseous PBDE concentration was found during the summer while lowest during the autumn. PBDE concentration in fallouts turned up higher in the cold months while lower in the warm months. The similarity of deposition fluxes at sites in the e-waste central area indicated a steady PBDE emission source, whereas the significant relationship between deposition fluxes and particle weights at sites in the e-waste surrounding area suggested the scavenging of PBDEs in this area was largely associated with particles.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Al-Awadhi JM, Alshuaibi AA (2013) Dust fallout in Kuwait city: deposition and characterization. Sci Total Environ 461–462:139–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alaee M (2006) Recent progress in understanding of the levels, trends, fate and effects of BFRs in the environment. Chemosphere 64:179–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • An T, Zhang D, Li G, Mai B, Fu J (2011) On-site and off-site atmospheric PBDEs in an electronic dismantling workshop in south China: gas-particle partitioning and human exposure assessment. Environ Pollut 159:3529–3535

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Besis A, Samara C (2012) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the indoor and outdoor environments: a review on occurrence and human exposure. Environ Pollut 169:217–229

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Besis A, Botsaropoulou E, Voutsa D, Samara C (2015) Particle-size distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the urban agglomeration of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. Atmos Environ 104:176–185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Betts KS (2008) Unwelcome guest: PBDEs in indoor dust. Environ Health Perspect 116:A202–A208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bezares-Cruz J, Jafvert CT, Hua I (2004) Solar photodecomposition of decabromodiphenyl ether: products and quantum yield. Environ Sci Technol 38:4149–4156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bi X, Thomas GO, Jones KC, Qu W, Sheng G, Martin FL, Fu J (2007) Exposure of electronics dismantling workers to polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides in South China. Environ Sci Technol 41:5647–5653

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Birnbaum LS, Staskal DF (2003) Brominated flame retardants: cause for concern? Environ Health Perspect 112:9–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bohlin P, Jones KC, Tovalin H, Strandberg B (2008) Observations on persistent organic pollutants in indoor and outdoor air using passive polyurethane foam samplers. Atmos Environ 42:7234–7241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cetin B, Odabasi M (2008) Atmospheric concentrations and phase partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Izmir, Turkey. Chemosphere 71:1067–1078

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaemfa C, Barber JL, Kim K-S, Harner T, Jones KC (2009) Further studies on the uptake of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by polyurethane foam disk passive air samplers. Atmos Environ 43:3843–3849

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen D, Bi X, Zhao J, Chen L, Tan J, Mai B, Sheng G, Fu J, Wong M (2009) Pollution characterization and diurnal variation of PBDEs in the atmosphere of an E-waste dismantling region. Environ Pollut 157:1051–1057

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen D, Bi X, Liu M, Huang B, Sheng G, Fu J (2011) Phase partitioning, concentration variation and risk assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the atmosphere of an e-waste recycling site. Chemosphere 82:1246–1252

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng H, Ma L, Zhao C, Li X, Wang X, Liu Y, Yang K (2011) Characterization of HCHs and DDTs in urban dustfall and prediction of soil burden in a metropolis—Beijing, China. Chemosphere 85:406–411

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Choi S-D, Baek S-Y, Chang Y-S (2008) Atmospheric levels and distribution of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the vicinity of an iron and steel making plant. Atmos Environ 42:2479–2488

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Court Proceeding (2008) 2008/c116/02. Official Journal of European Union C 116 (2)

  • Das R, Das SN, Misra VN (2005) Chemical composition of rainwater and dustfall at Bhubaneswar in the east coast of India. Atmos Environ 39:5908–5916

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Directive 76/769/CEE of the 27 July 1976, relating to the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations. Official Journal of European Communion L 262 27/09/176, 0201–0203

  • Directive 2003/11/EC of the European parliament and of the council of 6 February 2003 amending for the 24th time Council Directive 76/769/EEC relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (pentabromodiphenyl ether, octabromodiphenyl ether). Official Journal of European Communion L 42(45)

  • Fu X, Wang J, Zhou X, Deng J, Liu Y, Zhang W, Liu L, Dong L, Lin K (2014) Tree bark as a passive air sampler to indicate atmospheric polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in southeastern China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21:7668–7677

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gevao B, Ghadban AN, Porcelli M, Ali L, Rashdan A, Al-Bahloul M, Matrouk K, Zafar J (2013) Seasonal variations in the atmospheric concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Kuwait. Sci Total Environ 454–455:534–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gigliotti CL, Totten LA, Offenberg JH, Dachs J, Reinfelder JR, Nelson ED, Glenn TR IV, Eisenreich SJ (2005) Atmospheric concentrations and deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to the Mid-Atlantic East Coast Region. Environ Sci Technol 39:5550–5559

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gouin T, Harner T, Blanchard P, Mackay D (2005) Passive and active air samplers as complementary methods for investigating persistent organic pollutants in the Great Lakes basin. Environ Sci Technol 39:9115–9122

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harner T, Shoeib M, Diamond M, Stern G, Rosenberg B (2004) Using passive air samplers to assess urban–rural trends for persistent organic pollutants. 1. Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides. Environ Sci Technol 38:4474–4483

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harner T, Shoeib M, Diamond M, Ikonomou M, Stern G (2006) Passive sampler derived air concentrations of PBDEs along an urban–rural transect: spatial and temporal trends. Chemosphere 64:262–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hazrati S, Harrad S (2007) Calibration of polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers for quantitative measurement of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): factors influencing sampling rates. Chemosphere 67:448–455

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He W, Qin N, He QS, Kong XZ, Liu WX, Wang QM, Yang C, Jiang YJ, Yang B, Bai ZL, Wu WJ, Xu FL (2014) Atmospheric PBDEs at rural and urban sites in central China from 2010 to 2013: residual levels, potential sources and human exposure. Environ Pollut 192:232–243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hites RA (2004) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environment and in people: a meta-analysis of concentrations. Environ Sci Technol 38:945–956

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones-Otazo HA, Clarke JP, Diamond ML, Archbold JA, Ferguson G, Harner T, Richardson GM, Ryan JJ, Wilford B (2005) Is house dust the missing exposure pathway for PBDEs? An analysis of the urban fate and human exposure to PBDEs. Environ Sci Technol 39:5121–5130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kemmlein S, Herzke D, Law RJ (2009) Brominated flame retardants in the European chemicals policy of REACH—regulation and determination in materials. J Chromatogr A 1216:320–333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • La Guardia MJ, Hale RC, Harvey E (2006) Detailed polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congener composition of the widely used penta-, octa-, and deca-PBDE technical flame-retardant mixtures. Environ Sci Technol 40:6247–6254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung AO, Zheng J, Yu CK, Liu WK, Wong CK, Cai Z, Wong MH (2011) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in surface dust at an E-waste processing site in Southeast China. Environ Sci Technol 45:5775–5782

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Li Y, Zhang Q, Wang P, Yang H, Jiang G, Wei F (2011) Evaluation of atmospheric sources of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs around a steel industrial complex in northeast China using passive air samplers. Chemosphere 84:957–963

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Jiang G, Wang Y, Wang P, Zhang Q (2008) Concentrations, profiles and gas-particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in the ambient air of an E-waste dismantling area, southeast China. Chin Sci Bull 53:521–528

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Q, Cai ZW, Wong MH (2007) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in fish and sediment from river polluted by electronic waste. Sci Total Environ 383:115–127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ni HG, Zeng EY (2009) Law enforcement and global collaboration are the keys to containing e-waste tsunami in China. Environ Sci Technol 43:3991–3994

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pettersson-Julander A, van Bavel B, Engwall M, Westberg H (2004) Personal air sampling and analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and other bromine containing compounds at an electronic recycling facility in Sweden. J Environ Monit 6:874–880

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qu W, Bi X, Sheng G, Lu S, Fu J, Yuan J, Li L (2007) Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers among workers at an electronic waste dismantling region in Guangdong, China. Environ Int 33:1029–1034

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raff JD, Hites RA (2007) Deposition versus photochemical removal of PBDEs from Lake Superior air. Environ Sci Technol 41:6725–6731

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Söderström G, Sellström U, de Wit CA, Tysklind M (2004) Photolytic debromination of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 209). Environ Sci Technol 38:127–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt CW (2006) Unfair trade e-waste in Africa. Environ Health Perspect 114:A232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shoeib M, Harner T (2002) Characterization and comparison of three passive air samplers for persistent organic pollutants. Environ Sci Technol 36:4142–4151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ter Schure AFH, Larsson P (2002) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in precipitation in Southern Sweden (Skåne, Lund). Atmos Environ 36:4015–4022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian M, Chen SJ, Wang J, Shi T, Luo XJ, Mai BX (2011a) Atmospheric deposition of halogenated flame retardants at urban, e-waste, and rural locations in southern China. Environ Sci Technol 45:4696–4701

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tian M, Chen SJ, Wang J, Zheng XB, Luo XJ, Mai BX (2011b) Brominated flame retardants in the atmosphere of E-waste and rural sites in southern China: seasonal variation, temperature dependence, and gas-particle partitioning. Environ Sci Technol 45:8819–8825

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (2004) Guidance for a global monitoring programme for persistent organic pollutants. www.chem.unep.ch

  • UNEP (2009) Report of the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants on the Work of Its Fourth Meeting. www.chm.pops.int

  • Wang C, Li W, Chen J, Wang H, Li T, Shen G, Shen H, Huang Y, Wang R, Wang B, Zhang Y, Tang J, Liu W, Wang X, Tao S (2012) Summer atmospheric polybrominated diphenyl ethers in urban and rural areas of northern China. Environ Pollut 171:234–240

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Lin Z, Lin K, Wang C, Zhang W, Cui C, Lin J, Dong Q, Huang C (2011a) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in water, sediment, soil, and biological samples from different industrial areas in Zhejiang, China. J Hazard Mater 197:211–219

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Luo C, Li J, Yin H, Li X, Zhang G (2011b) Characterization of PBDEs in soils and vegetations near an e-waste recycling site in South China. Environ Pollut 159:2443–2448

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilford BH, Harner T, Zhu J, Shoeib M, Jones KC (2004) Passive sampling survey of polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants in indoor and outdoor air in Ottawa, Canada: implications for sources and exposure. Environ Sci Technol 38:5312–5318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu F, Liu Y, Wang J, Zhang G, Zhang W, Liu L, Wang J, Pan B, Lin K (2014) Characterization of heavy metals and brominated flame retardants in the indoor and outdoor dust of e-waste workshops: implication for on-site human exposure. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22:5469–5480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z, Zhao X, Zhao Q, Qin Z, Qin X, Xu X, Jin Z, Xu C (2008) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in leaves and soil from typical electronic waste polluted area in South China. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 80:340–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang BZ, Guan YF, Li SM, Zeng EY (2009) Occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in air and precipitation of the Pearl River Delta, South China: annual washout ratios and depositional rates. Environ Sci Technol 43:9142–9147

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Dong L, Yang W, Zhou L, Shi S, Zhang X, Niu S, Li L, Wu Z, Huang Y (2013) Passive air sampling of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in the Yangtze River Delta, China: concentrations, distributions, and cancer risk assessment. Environ Pollut 181:159–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao YX, Qin XF, Li Y, Liu PY, Tian M, Yan SS, Qin ZF, Xu XB, Yang YJ (2009) Diffusion of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) from an e-waste recycling area to the surrounding regions in Southeast China. Chemosphere 76:1470–1476

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Environmental Protection Public Welfare Science and Technology Research Program of China (grant no. 201309047), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 41001316), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant no. WB1214059).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China

    Feng Xu, Gang Zhang, Junxia Wang, Wei Zhang, Lili Liu & Kuangfei Lin

  2. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130, Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China

    Feng Xu & Kuangfei Lin

Authors
  1. Feng Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Junxia Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wei Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lili Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kuangfei Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kuangfei Lin.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Constantini Samara

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOCX 955 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xu, F., Zhang, G., Wang, J. et al. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in air and fallouts from an e-waste polluted region in southeast China: insight into levels, compositional profiles, and seasonal variation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 19676–19686 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5168-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5168-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation