Levels And Distribution Characteristics Of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) And Dechlorane Plus (DP)in The Air Of Beijing

A new group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and high chlorinated flame retardants Dechlorane Plus (DP) are ubiquitous substances in the environment. They have some similar properties, including refractory, bioaccumulation, long-distance mobility, biological toxicity, etc. This study focuses on the levels and distributions of the two groups of compounds in the atmospheric of Beijing. Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air sampling was conducted in8districts of Beijing between November2010and December2011. The air concentrations of13PBDEs congeners and2DP isomers were analyzed with high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). In winter, the air concentrations of PBDEs (Σ13PBDEs) ranged from0.420to41.1pg/m3[average7.51pg/m3]; and ranged from3.23to79.1pg/m3[average16.0pg/m3] in spring; ranged from13.6to177pg/m3[average51.2pg/m3] in summer; ranged from1.80to48.8pg/m3[average12.7pg/m3] in autumn. The lowest concentration appeared in the winter, and the peak of the concentrations appeared in the summer, showed strong seasonal variation. The study of distribution characteristics showed that the concentrations of PBDEs in southeast region were significantly higher than those in northwest region, and the PBDEs levels in industrial areas and business districts were higher than those in suburbs and background areas. Low brominated PBDEs and BDE-183are the main congeners of PBDEs in the air of Beijing. And the air concentration range of DP is4.66-81.2pg/m3in winter [average20.4pg/m3],5.36-36.3pg/m3in spring [average15.3pg/m3],11.7-88.5pg/m3in summer [average22.1pg/m3],6.14-74.9pg/m3in autumn [average26.1pg/m3]. It is lower that the average concentrations ofΣDP comparing with other countries and regions around the world. Concentrations of ΣDP in few sampling sites demonstrated distinct seasonal variation. It implies that there may be existed seasonal variations in some pollutant source around these sampling sites. Study shows that the pervasion of DP from DP industrial products to environment is the primary source of DP in the air of Beijing.