Brominated flame retardants in U.S. biosolids from the EPA national sewage sludge survey and chemical persistence in outdoor soil mesocosms.

ABSTRACT: We determined national baseline levels and release inventories of 77 traditional and novel brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in biosolids composites (prepared from 110 samples) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2001 national sewage sludge survey (NSSS). Additionally, analyses were performed on archived samples from a 3-year outdoor mesocosm study to determine the environmental persistence of BFRs in biosolids-amended soil. The total polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE) concentration detected in biosolids composites was 9400 ± 960 μg/kg dry weight, of which deca-BDE constituted 57% followed by nona- and penta-BDE at 18 and 13%, respectively. The annual mean loading rate estimated from the detected concentrations and approximate annual biosolids production and disposal numbers

SUBMITTER: Venkatesan AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4013270 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature