TY - JOUR
T1 - Transformation of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether under UV irradiation
T2 - Potential sources of the secondary pollutants
AU - Wang, Ji Zhong
AU - Hou, Yuqing
AU - Zhang, Jianshun
AU - Zhu, Jiping
AU - Feng, Yong Lai
N1 - Funding Information:
Dr. Ji-zhong Wang would like to thank NSERC Canada and Health Canada for financial support in the form of post-doctoral fellowship. This project was financially supported by the Chemicals Management Plan of Canadian Federal Government under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
PY - 2013/12/15
Y1 - 2013/12/15
N2 - A commercial brominated flame retardant 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) was used as the model chemical to investigate the degradation and transformation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in gas and liquid phases, respectively, under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The results showed that BDE-47 can be transformed to less-brominated BDE analogs. A total of six compounds that are less-brominated BDEs and two brominated phenols were observed as transformation products in the reaction mixtures. Different degradation rates of BDE-47 in n-nonane and in isooctane in the same chamber system were observed. Degradation rate of BDE-47 in n-nonane was faster than in isooctane. Under UV irradiation, the bromine on the ortho positions of the phenyl rings was lost first to form 2,4,4'-tribromodiphenyl ether (BDE-28), which then progressively lead to 4,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether (BDE-15) or 2,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether (BDE-8). An airborne transformation pathway has been proposed according to observed transformation products. The more volatile less-brominated BDEs from transformation of BDE-47 are easily evaporated into air to be a source of secondary pollutants in the environment.
AB - A commercial brominated flame retardant 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) was used as the model chemical to investigate the degradation and transformation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in gas and liquid phases, respectively, under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The results showed that BDE-47 can be transformed to less-brominated BDE analogs. A total of six compounds that are less-brominated BDEs and two brominated phenols were observed as transformation products in the reaction mixtures. Different degradation rates of BDE-47 in n-nonane and in isooctane in the same chamber system were observed. Degradation rate of BDE-47 in n-nonane was faster than in isooctane. Under UV irradiation, the bromine on the ortho positions of the phenyl rings was lost first to form 2,4,4'-tribromodiphenyl ether (BDE-28), which then progressively lead to 4,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether (BDE-15) or 2,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether (BDE-8). An airborne transformation pathway has been proposed according to observed transformation products. The more volatile less-brominated BDEs from transformation of BDE-47 are easily evaporated into air to be a source of secondary pollutants in the environment.
KW - Air quality
KW - Airborne BDE-47
KW - Degradation and transformation
KW - Pathway
KW - Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.10.005
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.10.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 24225586
AN - SCOPUS:84889094890
SN - 0304-3894
VL - 263
SP - 778
EP - 783
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
ER -