Analysis of organophosphorus flame retardants in submicron atmospheric particulate matter (PM1)

Barend L. Van Drooge; David Ramos García; Silvia Lacorte; Barend L. Van Drooge; David Ramos García; Silvia Lacorte

doi:10.3934/environsci.2018.4.294

AIMS Environmental Science

2018, Volume 5, Issue 4: 294-304. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2018.4.294

Previous Article Next Article

Research article

Analysis of organophosphorus flame retardants in submicron atmospheric particulate matter (PM1)

Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Received: 16 March 2018 Accepted: 25 July 2018 Published: 21 September 2018

This study is aimed to determine the occurrence of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in atmospheric particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 1 µm (PM₁). The analytical method is based on Soxhlet extraction and a clean-up step with Florisil solid phase extraction (SPE). Detection and quantification was performed by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Validation included laboratory and field blank tests as well as the determination of the method efficiency using spiked quartz filters with 20 ng and 200 ng of OPFR mixture. Ambient air PM samples with particle concentrations between 4 and 26 µg/m³ were collected at an urban background site in Barcelona under contrasting meteorological conditions in order to study occurrence of OPFRs in relation to particle loads. In these samples, OPFRs were detected at levels ranging from a few pg/m³ to 1200 pg/m³ and substantial correlations were observed between the levels of certain OPFRs and atmospheric particle loadings. The presence of individual compounds in pg/m³ concentrations levels in the sub-micron PM mode (PM₁) at an urban background site indicates a considerable exposure to these compounds for the human population in this area. This is the first study to determine OPFR in PM₁.
- organophosphorus flame retardants,
- GC-MS/MS,
- urban air,
- PM1
Citation: Barend L. Van Drooge, David Ramos García, Silvia Lacorte. Analysis of organophosphorus flame retardants in submicron atmospheric particulate matter (PM1)[J]. AIMS Environmental Science, 2018, 5(4): 294-304. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2018.4.294

Related Papers:

Abstract

This study is aimed to determine the occurrence of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in atmospheric particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 1 µm (PM₁). The analytical method is based on Soxhlet extraction and a clean-up step with Florisil solid phase extraction (SPE). Detection and quantification was performed by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Validation included laboratory and field blank tests as well as the determination of the method efficiency using spiked quartz filters with 20 ng and 200 ng of OPFR mixture. Ambient air PM samples with particle concentrations between 4 and 26 µg/m³ were collected at an urban background site in Barcelona under contrasting meteorological conditions in order to study occurrence of OPFRs in relation to particle loads. In these samples, OPFRs were detected at levels ranging from a few pg/m³ to 1200 pg/m³ and substantial correlations were observed between the levels of certain OPFRs and atmospheric particle loadings. The presence of individual compounds in pg/m³ concentrations levels in the sub-micron PM mode (PM₁) at an urban background site indicates a considerable exposure to these compounds for the human population in this area. This is the first study to determine OPFR in PM₁.

References

[1]	Pope CA, Burnett RT, Thun MJ, et al. (2002) Lung cancer, cardiopulmonary mortality, and long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution. J Amer Med Assoc 287: 1132–1141. doi: 10.1001/jama.287.9.1132
[2]	Brunekreef B, Forsberg B (2005) Epidemiological evidence of effects of coarse airborne particles on health. Eur Respir J 26: 309–318. doi: 10.1183/09031936.05.00001805
[3]	van Drooge BL, Grimalt JO (2015) Particle size-resolved source apportionment of primary and secondary organic tracer compounds at urban and rural locations in Spain. Atmos Chem Phys 15: 7735–7752.
[4]	Pérez N, Pey J, Cusack M, et al. (2010) Variability of particle number, black carbon and PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 levels and speciation: influence of road traffic emissions on urban air quality. Aerosol Sci Technol 44: 487–499.
[5]	Varghese SK, Gangamma S (2006) Particle Deposition in Human Respiratory Tract: Effect of Water Soluble Fraction. Aerosol Air Qual Res 6: 360–379. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.2006.07.0004
[6]	Kanakidou M, Seinfeld JH, Pandis SN, et al. (2005) Organic aerosol and global climate modelling: A review. Atmos Chem Phys 5: 1053–1123. doi: 10.5194/acp-5-1053-2005
[7]	Salamova A, Ma Y, Venier M, et al. (2014) High levels of organophosphate flame retardants in the Great Lakes Atmosphere. Environ Sci Technol Lett 1: 8–14. doi: 10.1021/ez400034n
[8]	van Drooge BL, Cusack M, Reche C, et al. (2012) Molecular marker characterization of the organic composition of submicron aerosols from Mediterranean urban and rural environments under contrasting meteorological conditions. Atmos Environ 61: 482–489. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.07.039
[9]	van der Veen I, de Boer J (2012) Phosphorus flame retardants: Properties, production, environmental occurrence, toxicity and analysis. Chemosphere 88: 1119–1153. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.03.067
[10]	Dishaw LV, Powers CM, Ryde IT, et al. (2011) Is the PentaBDE replacement, tris (1,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate TDCPP), a developmental neurotoxicant? Studies in PC12 cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 256: 281–289. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2011.01.005
[11]	Chen SJ, Ma YJ, Wang J, et al. (2010) Measurement and human exposure assessment of brominated flame retardants in household products from South China. J Haz Mat 176: 979–984. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.11.138
[12]	Cristale J, Lacorte S (2013) Development and validation of a multiresidue method for the analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, new brominated and organophosphorus flame retardants in sediment, sludge and dust. J Chrom A 1305: 267–275. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2013.07.028
[13]	Cao Z, Xu F, Covaci A, et al. (2014) Distribution patterns of brominated, chlorinated, and phosphorus flame retardants with particle size in indoor and outdoor dust and implications for human exposure. Environ Sci Technol 48: 8839–8846. doi: 10.1021/es501224b
[14]	Liu D, Lin T, Shen K, et al. (2016) Occurrence and Concentrations of Halogenated Flame Retardants in the Atmospheric Fine Particles in Chinese Cities. Environ Sci Technol 50: 9846–9854. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01685
[15]	Castro-Jiménez J, Berrojalbiz N, Pizarro M, et al. (2014) Organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers in the open Mediterranean and Black Seas Atmosphere. Environ Sci Technol 48: 3203–3209. doi: 10.1021/es405337g
[16]	Möller A, Sturm R, Xie Z, et al. (2012) Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in airborne particles over the Northern Pacific and Indian Ocean toward the Polar Regions: Evidence of Global occurrence. Environ Sci Technol 46: 3127–3134. doi: 10.1021/es204272v
[17]	Zhou L, Hiltscher M, Gruber D, et al. (2017) Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in indoor and in outdoor air in the Rhine/Main area, Germany: comparison of concentrations and distribution profiles in different microenvironments. Environ Pollut Res 24: 10993–11005.
[18]	Kile ML, Scott RP, O'Connell SG, et al. (2016) Using silicone wristbands to evaluate preschool children's exposure to flame retardants. Environ Res 147: 365–372. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.02.034
[19]	Yang F, Ding J, Huang W, et al. (2014) Particle size-specific distributions and preliminary exposure assessments of organophosphate flame retardants in office air particulate matter. Environ Sci Technol 48: 63–70. doi: 10.1021/es403186z
[20]	Cristale J, Hurtado A, Gómez-Canela C, et al. (2016) Occurrence and sources of brominated and organophosphorus flame retardants in dust from different indoor environments in Barcelona, Spain. Environ Res 149: 66–76. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.05.001
[21]	Reemtsma T, García-López M, Rodríguez I, et al. (2008) Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in water and air I. Occurrence and fate. TrAC 27: 727–737.
[22]	Alier M, Van Drooge BL, Dall'Osto M, et al. (2013) Source apportionment of submicron organic aerosol at an urban background and a road site in Barcelona (Spain) during SAPUSS. Atmos Chem Phys 13: 10353–10371. doi: 10.5194/acp-13-10353-2013
[23]	Hansch C, Leo A, Hoekman D (1995) Exploring QSAR Hydrophobic, Electronic and Steric Constants. ACS, Washington, DC.
[24]	Reaxys database, Elsevier
[25]	Saeger V, Hicks O, Kaley R, et al. (1979) Environmental fate of selected phosphate esters. Environ Sci Technol 13: 840–844. doi: 10.1021/es60155a010
[26]	Yalkowsky SH, Dannenfelser RM (1992) Aquasol database of aqueous solubility. Fifth Edition. Tuscon, AZ. University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy.
[27]	Esteve W, Budzinski H, Villenave H (2006) Relative rate constants for the heterogeneous reactions of NO2 and OH radicals with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on carbonaceous particles. Part 2: PAHs adsorbed on diesel particulate exhaust SRM 1650a. Atmos Environ 40: 201–211.

Reader Comments

Your name:*

Email:*
© 2018 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)