Vapor pressure of three brominated flame retardants determined by using the Knudsen effusion method

Vapor pressure of nine perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) determined using the Knudsen Effusion Method

Sublimation vapor pressures of nine pure perfluoroalkyl substances, including Ammonium perfluoro(2-methyl-3-oxahexanoate) (GenX), 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluoro-1-decanol (8:2 FTOH), 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluoro-1-dodecanol (10:2 FTOH) and C6 to C11 perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), were measured using the Knudsen technique at near ambient temperatures. Melting temperatures and fusion enthalpies of these compounds were also measured using differential scanning calorimetry. The vapor pressure of GenX ammonium salt is comparable to that of the much higher molecular weight perfluoroundecanoic acid. GenX ammonium salt also did not show actual melting behavior but instead decomposed at around 470 K. The measured near ambient temperature sublimation vapor pressures of the PFCAs and FTOHs were compared with some earlier reported liquid phase vapor pressures obtained at higher temperatures, and reasonable agreement exists between the data obtained in the different studies. The sublimation enthalpies of the PFCAs indicate that the contribution to the sublimation enthalpy of the CF₂ group in the alkyl chain is comparable to that of the CH₂ group in the corresponding non-fluorinated analogues, even though the PFCAs show consistently higher vapor pressures than do the corresponding carbon number alkanoic acids.

Time series of hexabromocyclododecane transfers from flame-retarded curtains to attached dust

While the production and new use of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) mostly ceased after being listed as a persistent organic pollutant under the Stockholm Convention in 2013, its emission from treated products in use to indoor environments still deserves attention. To examine the transfer of HBCD diastereomers to dust on the surface of flame-retarded curtains and to better characterize the potential of treated fabrics to be sources of HBCD in dust, we carried out a series of 196-day experiments using two types of curtains and attached dusts. Concurrently, the physicochemical properties (vapor pressure, water solubility, and octanol-water partition coefficient) of the HBCD diastereomers were measured. HBCD diastereomers migrated from curtains to dust with half-saturation times of about 20-50 days. By day 196, mean HBCD concentrations in dust had reached 13-290 μg/g, depending on the types of curtains and dusts. The composition of HBCD, dominated by γ-HBCD in the curtains, was dominated by α-HBCD in the post-experiment dusts, probably because of the higher vapor pressure of α-HBCD compared to γ-HBCD. The initial HBCD contents of the two curtains were comparable, but the concentrations and profiles of HBCD diastereomers in the post-experiment dusts differed markedly, probably because differences between the texture and/or surface finishing of the treated fabrics affected HBCD transfer to the attached dust.

Mass-flow-based removal and transformation potentials for TBBPA, HBCDs and PBDEs during wastewater treatment processes

At a sewage treatment plant, 27 polybrominated diphenyl ethers, 17 methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers, nine hydroxylated brominated diphenyl ethers, three hexabromocyclododecane diastereomers, and tetrabromobisphenol A were monitored at five major treatment stages (the influent, primary settlement stage, biological reaction stage, secondary settlement stage, and the UV irradiation disinfection stage). Hexabromocyclododecanes were the dominant chemicals, contributing 40% of the total concentrations of the chemicals in the dissolved phase of the sewage. Brominated flame retardant mass flow in the wastewater was lower after than before the biological reaction stage, and more than 70% of the inflowing mass load was removed from the mainstream wastewater by becoming associated with the sludge. More than half of mass loads of parent brominated flame retardants in the wastewater were removed after the treatments, but up to 10% of the initial mass loads remained in the final effluent and was expected to be released into the aquatic environment. The hydroxylated and methoxylated brominated diphenyl ether concentrations decreased by <25%, much less than the polybrominated diphenyl ethers. It is possible that hydroxylated and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers formed through the transformation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers during the biological reactions of treatment processes.

Emission behavior of hexabromocyclododecanes and polybrominated diphenyl ethers from flame-retardant-treated textiles

To evaluate the emission behavior of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) added to textile products as flame retardants, we used a small stainless steel container (7 cm i.d. × 5.5 cm height, ca. 210 cm(3)) to conduct emission tests on three upholstery textile samples at temperatures of 20, 40, 60, and 80 °C. The textile samples, which were intended for use in curtain manufacture and had been treated with either technical HBCD or technical DecaBDE, emitted HBCDs and PBDEs, including BDE 209, even at room temperature (20 °C), and the emission rates increased with increasing test temperature. These results indicate that flame-retardant-treated upholstery textiles have the potential to be major sources of brominated flame retardant contamination in indoor air and dust. The HBCD diastereomer emission profiles at the test temperatures of 20 and 40 °C were similar to the profiles of the original textile samples; in contrast, at the higher test temperatures, the proportion of α-HBCD was larger (up to 70% of the total HBCD emission) than in the original samples. At the higher test temperatures, the proportions of di- to hexa-BDEs in the emissions were clearly larger than in the original sample, suggesting that the textile products treated with technical DecaBDE could be a source of environmentally relevant PBDE congeners such as BDE 47, 99, and 100. The emission rates of HBCDs from the textiles were two orders of magnitude higher than those of PBDEs, suggesting that HBCDs volatilize more easily from textile products to the indoor environment than PBDEs.

Thermochemical and Vapor Pressure Behavior of Anthracene and Brominated Anthracene Mixtures

The present work concerns the thermochemical and vapor pressure behavior of the anthracene (1) + 2-bromoanthracene (2) and anthracene (1) + 9-bromoanthracene (3) systems. Solid-liquid equilibrium temperature and differential scanning calorimetry studies indicate the existence of a minimum melting solid state near an equilibrium temperature of 477.65 K at x₁ = 0.74 for the (1) + (2) system. Additionally, solid-vapor equilibrium studies for the (1) + (2) system show that the vapor pressure of the mixtures depends on composition, but does not follow ideal Raoult's law behaviour. The (1) + (3) system behaves differently from the (1) + (2) system. The (1) + (3) system has a solid solution like phase diagram. The system consists of two phases, an anthracene like phase and a 9-bromoanthracene like phase, while (1) + (2) mixtures only form a single phase. Moreover, experimental studies of the two systems suggest that the (1) + (2) system is in a thermodynamically lower energy state than the (1) + (3) system.

Estimating European historical production, consumption and atmospheric emissions of decabromodiphenyl ether

A European scale production, consumption and environmental emissions inventory is produced for decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) for the period 1970-2020. A dynamic substance flow analysis model of DecaBDE is developed and emission of the main congener, BDE-209, to environmental compartments is estimated. From 1970 to 2010, it is estimated that a total of 185,000-250,000 tonnes of DecaBDE was consumed in Europe. Consumption peaked in the late 1990s at approximately 9,000 tonnes/year and has declined by ~30% in 2010. Predicted BDE-209 atmospheric emissions peak in 2004 at 10 tonnes/year. The waste management phase of the BDE-209 life cycle is responsible for the majority of atmospheric emissions via volatilisation and particle bound emissions from landfills, whilst leakage from Sewerage systems is the major source of emissions to the hydrosphere. Use of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment works as an agricultural fertiliser is the most important pathway of BDE-209 to soil. Although DecaBDE consumption has declined in recent years, the stock in use for 2010 remains considerable (60,000 tonnes) and is likely to act as a source of atmospheric emissions for several decades. Uncertainties exist in these estimations and more field or experimental data is needed to clarify the significance of certain emission pathways, in particular, emissions from landfill sites.