Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2022, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (1): 117-130.doi: 10.11978/2021003CSTR: 32234.14.2021003

• Marine Chemistry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Pollution characteristics of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and alternative brominated flame retardants in sediments from typical mangrove wetlands of China

LI Huawei1,4(), XU Xiangrong1,2,3()   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
    2. Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
    3. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
    4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2021-01-04 Revised:2021-03-11 Online:2022-01-10 Published:2022-01-26
  • Contact: XU Xiangrong E-mail:soledadlee1227@163.com;xuxr@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFC1406503);Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences(ISEE2019ZR03);Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences(ISEE2018PY03);Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences(ISEE2018ZD02);Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering, Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)(GML2019ZD0404)

Abstract:

Surface sediment samples were collected from 16 mangrove wetlands in four provinces (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan) of China and analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and five alternative brominated flame retardants (ABFRs), including decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), 1, 2-bis (2, 4, 6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), hexabromobenzene (HBB), pentabromotoluene (PBT) and pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB). Results showed that PBDEs, DBDPE and BTBPE were widely detected in the mangrove sediments, while HBB, PBT and PBEB were only observed in some regions. Average concentrations of total PBDEs ranged from 1.39 to 293 ng·g-1 dry weight (dw), showing an obvious spatial difference (p=0.016), which was significantly positively correlated with the local population and economic levels (p<0.01). BDE 209 was the predominant congener in all mangrove sediments, accounting for 72%~96% of the total PBDEs. DBDPE and BTBPE were the two dominant ABFRs, with average concentrations ranging from 0.489 to 29.4 ng·g-1 and from 0.0127 to 1.11 ng·g-1, respectively. There was a significant positive relationship between levels of BDE 209 and its alternative, DBDPE (p<0.01), reflecting their similar regional distributions in the mangrove sediments. This suggests that BDE 209 and DBDPE might have similar pollution resources and/or environmental behaviors. Ratios of DBDPE/BDE 209 were in the range of 0.0839~0.925, which indicates that levels of DBDPE were still lower than those of BDE 209 in the mangrove sediments of China. Still, environmental issues of ABFRs should not be ignored.

Key words: mangrove, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, alternative brominated flame retardants, sediment, spatial distribution

CLC Number: 

  • P734.5