The distribution and accumulation of phosphate flame retardants (PFRs) in water environment

Phosphate flame retardants (PERs) were measured in surface water (n = 11), suspended particle matter (SPM, n = 11), sediment (n = 11), and fish samples (n 26) from the Pearl River Delta located in South China.-Methyl phosphate (TEP), tri(2-chlomethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP), triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), and tricresyl phosphate (TMPP) were detected in more than half of surface water, SPM, and sediment samples. The median Sigma PFRs levels were 837 ng/L, 54.6 ng/g dry weight (dw), and 37.1 ng/g dw in surface water, SPM, and sediment samples, respectively. No significant correlations were found between the concentrations of most PERs and organic carbon contents in SPM and sediment (p 0.05). In surface water samples, tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP, 27% of Sigma PFRs) and TEP (23% of Sigma PFRs) were the predominant chemicals, while TNBP (38% of Sigma PFRs) and TCEP (32% of Sigma PFRs) dominated in Sigma PFRs in SPM samples, and TCEP (48% of Sigma PFRs) and TCIPP (25% of Sigma PFRs) dominated in Sigma PFRs in sediment samples. The proportions of phenyl-PFRs and chlorinated-PFRs in Sigma PFRs increased from surface water to SPM and sediment. The distribution ratios of PERs between water and organic carbon in SPM (or observed K-OC) were generally 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than the predicted K-OC. TNBP (nd-2.42 ng/g wet weight (ww)), TCEP ( nd4.96 ng/g ww), and TCIPP (nd-2.42 ng/gww) were detected in 27%, 35%, and 23% of all fish samples, respectively. The log bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) ranged 2.56-2.78, 2.15-3.11, and 2.61-3.10 for TNBP, TCEP, and TCIPP, respectively. The biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) of TNBP, TCEP, and TCIPP were generally lower than 1 except for the BSAF of TEMP in common carp. The results indicate the species-specific bioaccumulation of PFRs in fish species. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.