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.