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

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Abstract

Purposes

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.

Methods

Forty-two PBDE congeners were determined in surface soils from farmland, woodland, grassland, tideland, and road collected in Chongming Island.

Results

The mean concentrations of Σ26PBDE (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 Σ26PBDE 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 Σ26PBDEs and BDE-209, respectively.

Conclusions

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.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40901251), the Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology, China (No. 09ZR1433700), the Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, China (No. PCRRY09001), and International S&T Cooperation Projects from Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2009DFA90740).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Yan-Ping Duan, Xiang-Zhou Meng, Chao Yang, Zhao-Yu Pan, Ling Chen, Ran Yu & Feng-Ting Li

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  1. Yan-Ping Duan
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  2. Xiang-Zhou Meng
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Correspondence to Xiang-Zhou Meng.

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Responsible editor: Ake Bergman

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Duan, YP., Meng, XZ., Yang, C. et al. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in background surface soils from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China: occurrence, sources, and inventory. Environ Sci Pollut Res 17, 948–956 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-010-0295-1

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