Spatial and Temporal Trends of Dissolved Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Non-BDE Flame Retardants in the Aquatic Environment across Countries

Authors

Lian-Jun Bao
Branislav Vrana
Rainer Lohmann, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Jaromír Sobotka
Foppe Smedes
Derek Muir
Ian J. Allan
Peleg Astrahan
Terry Bidleman
Denis Crowley
Evgen Dykyi
Nicolas Estoppey
Gilberto Fillmann
Liisa Jantunen
Sarit Kaserzon
Keith A. Maruya
Brendan McHugh
Brent Newman
Raimon M. Prats
Manolis Tsapakis
Rebecca Sutton
Mats Tysklind
Barend L. van Drooge
Charles S. Wong
Eddy Y. Zeng

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

2025

Department

Oceanography

Abstract

Measuring dissolved concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and non-BDE flame retardants on a global scale provides critical insights into the effectiveness of the Stockholm Convention. In the present study, we deployed passive sampling devices at 43 seawater and freshwater sites covering 21 countries from 2016 to 2020. The detection frequencies were 20–94% for BDE congeners and 33–42% for dechlorane plus, higher than those (0–20%) for other target compounds. The median concentrations of dissolved Σ₉PBDE (sum of BDE-28, -47, -66, -85, -99, -100, -153, -154, and -183) were 0.28 and 0.64 pg L^–1 in seawater and freshwater, respectively. The concentrations of dissolved Σ₉PBDE, along with published data, slightly increased before 2016 and remained steady from 2016 to 2018, indicating delayed effects of the global phaseout of technical Penta- and Octa-BDEs. The log-transformed concentrations of individual BDE congeners were better correlated with regional gross domestic product than with population density. The potential ecological risk of BDE-47 was low, and there was a lack of key risk indicators for other compounds. The present study documented the delayed response of the aquatic environment to the regulatory actions on reducing PBDE emissions.

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Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Environmental Science & Technology

Volume

59

Issue

45

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Bao, L.-J., Vrana, B., Lohmann, R., Sobotka, J., Smedes, F., Muir, D.,...Zeng, E. Y. (2025). Spatial and Temporal Trends of Dissolved Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Non-BDE Flame Retardants in the Aquatic Environment across Countries. Environ. Sci. Technol., 59(45), 24576-24586. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c11506

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c11506