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Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the atmosphere of the Pearl River Delta region, South China

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Abstract

Air samples were collected from 26 air-monitoring stations located in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and two in Shaoguan, South China, to investigate the spatial distribution and temporal changes in polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) after the production and use of PBDE commercial formulations was restricted in China and the “dual transfer strategy” implemented by Guangdong Province. The spatial distribution of PBDEs was inhomogeneous in the PRD region, with concentrations ranging from 26.3 to 634 pg/m3 and a mean value of 105 pg/m3. The PBDE levels in the five western cities (Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan, and Jiangmen) were markedly higher than those in the four eastern cities (Dongguan, Huizhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai). BDE-209 was the predominant congener, accounting for 57.3–89.8% of the total measured PBDEs in this study. The proportion of penta- and nona-BDE congeners in the four eastern cities was markedly higher than those in five western cities. Principal component analysis showed that this elevation might be related to the debromination of BDE-209 during the thermal treatment process of products when PBDEs are used as flame retardants. Although the PBDE levels found in this study were markedly lower than those reported in previous studies, further efforts are still needed to clarify if there was a decreasing trend for PBDEs in the atmosphere of the PRD, in view of the increasing trends of PBDEs found by other researchers in mangrove sediments from Hong Kong and the Pearl River estuary in 2014 and 2015.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2014BAC22B04), the National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars (41225013), and the Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Province, China (2014B030301060). This is contribution No.IS-2560 from GIGCAS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environment and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China

    Jiawen Zhang, Jing Zhao, Jing Cai, Xiangying Zeng, Jun Li, Shutao Gao & Zhiqiang Yu

  2. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jiawen Zhang, Jing Zhao & Jing Cai

Authors
  1. Jiawen Zhang
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  2. Jing Zhao
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  3. Jing Cai
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  4. Xiangying Zeng
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  5. Jun Li
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  6. Shutao Gao
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  7. Zhiqiang Yu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shutao Gao.

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Responsible editor: Constantini Samara

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Zhang, J., Zhao, J., Cai, J. et al. Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the atmosphere of the Pearl River Delta region, South China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 27013–27020 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2743-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2743-2

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