Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans and their chlorinated analogues in sediments from a historical hotspot for both brominated flame retardants and organochlorine pesticides

Mingyang Liu; Huiru Li; Aimin Song; Ping'an Peng; Hehuan Liu; Jianfang Hu; Guoying Sheng; Guangguo Ying

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120489

Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans and their chlorinated analogues in sediments from a historical hotspot for both brominated flame retardants and organochlorine pesticides

Environ Pollut. 2023 Jan 1;316(Pt 1):120489. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120489. Epub 2022 Oct 20.

Authors

Mingyang Liu¹, Huiru Li², Aimin Song³, Ping'an Peng⁴, Hehuan Liu⁵, Jianfang Hu⁶, Guoying Sheng⁷, Guangguo Ying⁸

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
² SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou, 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou, 510640, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 36273686
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120489

Abstract

Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furans (PBDD/Fs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furans (PCDD/Fs) in the environment are closely related to their precursors, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). However, their change trends following the regulation of BFRs and OCPs remain incompletely characterized. Here, we examined PBDD/Fs and PCDD/Fs in sediments from a historical hotspot for both BFRs and OCPs, namely the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. PBDD/Fs showed ubiquity in these samples but significantly lower concentrations than PCDD/Fs. Spatially, the occurrence of PBDD/Fs was positively correlated with local development levels and sediments from highly urbanized/industrialized areas showed higher and increasing PBDD/F concentrations. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)-related products/industries were the greatest PBDD/F contributors to the PRD, followed by bromo-phenol/benzene-related products/industries. PCDD/Fs in PRD sediments showed significant positive correlations with local grain planting area, yield, and pesticide consumption. The historical use of pentachlorophenol (PCP)/PCP-Na and biomass open-burning were the leading PCDD/F sources of the PRD agricultural/rural areas, where the concentrations and toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs) of PCDD/Fs in sediments changed very little over the past decade. Anthropogenic thermal processes involved in metallurgy, waste incineration, and vehicles were the greatest PCDD/F contributors in the PRD urban/industrial areas, where the PCDD/F concentrations in sediments almost doubled over the last decade. This finding indicates the increasing PCDD/F contributions of industrial and municipal activities in the PRD, despite the implementation of strict emission standards. Over sixty percent of the samples showed TEQs that surpassed the low-risk threshold specified for mammalian life by the U.S. EPA (2.5 pg TEQ g^-1) and warrant continuous attention.

Keywords: Pentachlorophenol/pentachlorophenol sodium; Persist organic pollutants; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furans; Positive matrix factorization.

MeSH terms

Dibenzofurans / analysis
Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated
Dioxins* / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Flame Retardants* / analysis
Furans / analysis
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated*
Mammals
Pesticides*
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins* / analysis

Substances

dibenzo(1,4)dioxin
Dibenzofurans
Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated
Dioxins
Flame Retardants
Furans
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
Pesticides
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins