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Preliminary screening of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) flame retardants in landfill leachate

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Abstract

The occurrence of selected brominated flame retardants, including nine polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in leachate samples from eight landfill sites in South Africa, were investigated. In addition, the possible influences of dissolved organic carbon on their levels were also evaluated. Filtered leachate samples were subjected to solid-phase extraction to isolate the various target compounds. PBDEs with six bromine substituents and above, as well as α-HBCDD, β-HBCDD and TBBPA, were generally found below the detection limit. However, the mean value of the total lower PBDE congeners ranged between 0.04 and 0.48 μg L−1, and the concentrations of γ-HBCDD ranged from not detectable (ND) to 0.05 μg L−1. No significant correlation was observed between the target compounds and dissolved organic carbon, although weak to moderate correlations were mostly observed for the lower PBDEs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the management of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Pretoria, for providing laboratory facilities and other logistics. We are also grateful to the management of the University of Pretoria for the Postdoctoral funding offered to AP Daso from the Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Programme. The technical assistance offered by Ms. IV Sibiya (TUT) and the LC-MS unit of the Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria during the sample collection and instrumental analysis, respectively, is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa

    Adegbenro P. Daso, Egmont R. Rohwer & Dwayne J. Koot

  2. Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, 175 Nelson Mandela Drive, Private Bag X680, Arcadia, Pretoria, South Africa

    Adegbenro P. Daso & Jonathan O. Okonkwo

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  1. Adegbenro P. Daso
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  2. Egmont R. Rohwer
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  3. Dwayne J. Koot
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Correspondence to Adegbenro P. Daso.

Electronic supplementary material

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Supplementary Table S1: Details of the target and reference ions employed during SIM analysis of PBDEs. Supplementary Table S2: Optimized GC-EI-MS conditions employed for PBDEs analysis. (DOCX 14 kb)

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Daso, A.P., Rohwer, E.R., Koot, D.J. et al. Preliminary screening of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) flame retardants in landfill leachate. Environ Monit Assess 189, 418 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6131-z

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