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Disclosing phototransformation mechanisms of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in different media by simulated sunlight: Implication by compound-specific stable isotope analysis

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Abstract

As one of the typical brominated flame retardants, decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) has been widely detected in environment. However, scarce information was available on BDE-209 phototransformation mechanisms in various media. In this study, compound-specific stable isotope analysis was first applied to investigate BDE-209 phototransformation in n-hexane, MeOH:H2O (v:v, 8:2), and simulated seawater by simulated sunlight. BDE-209 transformation followed pseudo-first-order kinetic, with degradation rate in the following of n-hexane (2.66 × 10–3 min−1) > simulated seawater (1.83 × 10–3 min−1) > MeOH:H2O (1.41 × 10–3 min−1). Pronounced carbon isotope fractionation was first observed for BDE-209 phototransformation, with carbon isotope enrichment factors (εC) of -1.01 ± 0.14‰, -1.77 ± 0.26‰, -2.94 ± 0.38‰ in n-hexane, MeOH:H2O and simulated seawater, respectively. Combination analysis of products and stable carbon isotope, debromination with cleavage of C–Br bonds as rate-limiting step was the main mechanism for BDE-209 phototransformation in n-hexane, debromination and hydroxylation with cleavage of C–Br bonds as rate-limiting steps in MeOH:H2O, and debromination, hydroxylation and chlorination in simulated seawater. This present study confirmed that stable carbon isotope analysis was a robust method to discovery the underlying phototransformation mechanisms of BDE-209 in various solutions.

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Data Availability

Further data and details corresponding to this study are available upon request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Liaoning Province Ship Pollution Monitoring and Detection Key Laboratory for detecting stable carbon isotope.

Funding

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant number 3132023505), National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 41907311), Guangdong Foundation for Program of Science and Technology research (grant number 2020B1212060053), and Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program (grant number XLYC1802036).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, No.1 Linghai Road, 116026, Dalian, People’s Republic of China

    Guoguang Wang, Chuanyuan Li, Shuaihao Liu, Ziao Xing, Pengxu Guo, Zixuan Hao, Maojiao Li, Guangzhi Rong & Yu Liu

  2. Navigation College, Dalian Maritime University, No.1 Linghai Road, 116026, Dalian, People’s Republic of China

    Haixia Wang

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  1. Guoguang Wang
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Contributions

Guoguang Wang: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing-original draft; Chuanyuan Li: Investigation, Methodology, Writing-original draft; Pengxu Guo: Supervision, Funding acquisition, Writing-original draft; Shuaihao Liu: Investigation, Methodology; Ziao Xing: Investigation, Validation, Visualization; Zixuan Hao: Visualization, Investigation; Maojiao Li: Validation, Visualization; Haixia Wang: Methodology, Validation; Yu Liu: Investigation, Writing-original draft.

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Correspondence to Guoguang Wang.

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Wang, G., Li, C., Liu, S. et al. Disclosing phototransformation mechanisms of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in different media by simulated sunlight: Implication by compound-specific stable isotope analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 14980–14989 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32203-6

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