Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in water and sediment from open city drains in Makurdi Metropolitan Area, North Central Nigeria.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as well as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). This study determined the concentrations of six PBDE congeners (BDE 47, BDE 99, BDE 100, BDE 153, BDE 154, and BDE 183) in water and sediment samples from open city drains, in the Makurdi Metropolitan Area, North Central Nigeria, using gas chromatogragh-mass spectrometer. These congeners are components of the penta- and octa-BDE formulations that have been banned by the European Union. The samples were collected from the drains, bi-monthly, for 1 year across dry and wet seasons. All the congeners considered were found to be present in both water and sediment. The levels of Σ6PBDEs in water ranged from 0.05 to 0.28 ng L-1 during dry season and 0.02 to 0.36 ng L-1 during wet season, while their levels in sediment during dry and wet seasons ranged from 3.22 to 26.26 ng g-1 and 7.51 to 27.41 ng g-1, respectively. The percentage recoveries from solid phase and Soxhlet extractions ranged from 69 to 104% and 70 to 112%, respectively. It was concluded that the presence of all the congeners in both water and sediment posed a pollution risk to the river in which the drains discharge and require further monitoring and necessary preventive measures.

The occurrence of brominated flame retardants in the atmosphere of Gauteng Province, South Africa using polyurethane foam passive air samplers and assessment of human exposure.

Polyurethane foam passive samplers were deployed between May 2016 and January 2017 to evaluate concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), selected alternative flame retardants (AFRs) and total hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) (sum of α-, ß-, and γ-HBCDD). The PUF air samplers were deployed in semi-urban, urban, industrial and landfill sites in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The acquired results presented a clear semi urban-industrial-urban-landfill concentration gradient for all BFRs measured. Taking into account 2 sampling periods (cold and warm periods) (n = 16), the atmospheric concentrations of ∑9PBDEs, HBCDDs and ∑AFRs were 100-2820 pg m-3, 12-117 pg m-3 and 41-4660 pg m-3, respectively, for the sparsely populated residential area, densely populated residential area, industrial area and the landfill area. In all cases, BDE 47, 99, and 209 were the most dominant congeners with high detection frequencies. The highest calculated daily exposure dose in Gauteng Province atmosphere was 0.61 and 1.54 ng kg -1 - bw d -1 for adults and children respectively. The estimated total intake of PBDEs was 0.47-33.4 ng kg -1 - bw d -1, which was generally below the lowest adverse effect limit (LOAEL), suggesting that the residents of Gauteng Province may not be significantly affected as a result of their exposure to these pollutants through inhalation. However, this does not necessarily suggest that the pollutants are harmless to human health, since they have the tendency to bioaccumulate in biological systems. Incidentally, this is the first study from Africa to report on the atmospheric concentrations of PBDEs, HBCDDs and AFRs in urban, landfill and industrial areas. The findings from this study further highlight the contributory role of landfills as potential sources of BFRs into the atmosphere.

Temporal trends of Dechlorane Plus in air and precipitation around the North American Great Lakes.

Dechlorane Plus (DP) is a chlorinated flame retardant manufactured only in Niagara Falls, New York and in Huai'an, China. To determine if the environmental levels of this compound were changing significantly, we measured the long-term temporal trends of its concentrations near the Great Lakes between 2005 and 2015 using air (vapor + particle phase) samples (N = 1047) and precipitation samples (N = 449). We used a multiple linear regression model of DP concentrations to isolate the variabilities due to sampling date and population near the sampling site. The results show that the total DP concentrations in precipitation varied seasonally, maximizing on January 18, but the concentrations in the vapor + particle phase did not show seasonal variations. Vapor + particle phase DP levels were relatively high in Cleveland, and precipitation DP levels were relatively high at Point Petre. DP's concentrations in neither phase were changing as a function of sampling date, indicating that the input of this compound into the environment is continuing, presumably because its use and production are not regulated. Based on the ratio of the anti conformer relative to the total of the two conformer concentrations, we suggest that the syn conformer is somewhat more environmentally stable than the anti conformer.

Atmospheric concentrations of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) diastereomers in the Great Lakes region.

The concentrations of α-, ß-, and γ-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) diastereomers in atmospheric particle phase samples were determined at four United States Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) sites located in the North American Great Lakes basin collected between 1 January and 31 December 2014. The concentrations ranged from 0.37 to 8.9 pg/m3, 0.12-4.0 pg/m3, and 0.26-22 pg/m3 for α-, ß-, and γ-HBCDD, respectively among the four sampling sites. The median ΣHBCDD concentrations for the four sites were 2.0 pg/m3, 2.1 pg/m3, 1.7 pg/m3 and 5.2 pg/m3 for Chicago, Cleveland, Sturgeon Point and Sleeping Bear Dunes, respectively. Higher levels of ∑HBCDD were observed at the remote site of Sleeping Bear Dunes with comparable levels at the remaining three sites. α-HBCDD and γ-HBCDD were the dominant isomers with an average contribution of about 40% and 50% to ΣHBCDD concentrations, respectively. These HBCDD concentrations were compared with the levels of other brominated flame retardants measured in these samples, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 2,3,4,5-tetrabromoethylhexyl benzoate (EHTBB), bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (BEHTBP), and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE). ∑HBCDD concentrations were significantly lower than or indistinguishable from those of PBDEs, EHTBB, BEHTBP, and DBDPE at all sites except Sleeping Bear Dunes. No significant correlations were found between ΣHBCDD and ΣPBDE, EHTBB, BEHTBP, and DBDPE concentrations, suggesting a different source of HBCDD contamination. This is the first study reporting concentrations of HBCDD isomers in the Great Lakes ambient air, and our results indicate that HBCDD is ubiquitous in the Great Lakes basin, including at remote sites.

Determination of legacy and novel brominated flame retardants in dust from end of life office equipment and furniture from Pretoria, South Africa.

Indoor dust is known to be a source of human exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and these consists of the legacy polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), total hexabromocyclododecane (T-HBCDD) and the "Novel or alternate" Brominated flame retardants (NBFRs). In this study, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyser was employed to measure elemental bromine contents in office furniture and electronics as the first indication of the possible presence of BFRs. To investigate the possible BFRs present, a total of 21 dust samples were collected from surfaces of electronic equipment and office furniture and were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The concentrations of ∑7 BDE- congeners ranged from 50 to 3346ngng-1. Of the ∑7 BDE congeners analysed, BDE-209, -183 and -99 were the most dominant congeners. The concentrations observed ranged from

Soil concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and trace metals from an electronic waste dump site in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana: Implications for human exposure.

Unregulated electronic waste (e-waste) recycling operations have become a significant environmental issue as well as human health risk in developing countries across the world. The present study evaluated the extent of pollution in Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site in Accra, Ghana. The concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and some selected trace metals were determined using gas chromatography electron impact ionization mass spectrometry and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, respectively. The concentrations of ∑ PBDEs ranged from 15.6 to 96.8ngg-1 dry weight, with an overall mean of 54.8ngg-1dw. BDE-28 was the dominant congener followed by BDE-209 and BDE-47. The order of mean concentrations of the abundant trace metals was Fe>Cu>Pb≫Mn, with a mean range of .531-289mgkg-1. Geoaccumulation index suggested that the surface soils deteriorated from moderate to high metal pollution, particularly for Cu, Pb and Fe. Of the trace metals analysed, Fe exhibited the highest concentration ranging from 3.97 to 918mgkg-1. Correlation and principal component analyses suggested possible interactions between PBDEs and the trace metals analysed, while source assessment suggested that PBDEs and trace metals were mostly derived from inputs from the e-waste recycling activities. Average daily dose (ADD) was estimated using concentrations corresponding to 5th percentile, median and 95th percentile. Hazard quotients of 380 and 862 were obtained for adults and children respectively, for Cu and Pb which is a cause for concern especially for local children.