Automated rotary valve injection for polybrominated diphenyl ethers in gas chromatography

Assimilation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers from microplastics by the marine amphipod, Allorchestes compressa

Microplastic particles (MPPs; <5 mm) are found in skin cleansing soaps and are released into the environment via the sewage system. MPPs in the environment can sorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that can potentially be assimilated by organisms mistaking MPPs for food. Amphipods (Allorchestes compressa) exposed to MPPs isolated from a commercial facial cleansing soap ingested ≤45 particles per animal and evacuated them within 36 h. Amphipods were exposed to polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs) congeners (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, -154, and -183) in the presence or absence of MPPs. This study has demonstrated that PBDEs derived from MPPs can be assimilated into the tissue of a marine amphipod. MPPs reduced PBDE uptake compared to controls, but they caused greater proportional uptake of higher-brominated congeners such as BDE-154 and -153 compared to BDE-28 and -47. While MPPs in the environment may lower PBDE uptake compared to unabsorbed free chemicals, our study has demonstrated they can transfer PBDEs into a marine organism. Therefore, MPPs pose a risk of contaminating aquatic food chains with the potential for increasing public exposure through dietary sources. This study has demonstrated that MPPs can act as a vector for the assimilation of POPs into marine organisms.

Recent developments in the analysis of brominated flame retardants and brominated natural compounds

This article reviews recent literature on the analysis of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and brominated natural compounds (BNCs). The main literature sources are reviews from the last five years and research articles reporting new analytical developments published between 2003 and 2006. Sample pretreatment, extraction, clean-up and fractionation, injection techniques, chromatographic separation, detection methods, quality control and method validation are discussed. Only few new techniques, such as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) or pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), have been investigated for their ability of combining the extraction and clean-up steps. With respect to the separation of BFRs, the most important developments were the use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and the growing tendency for liquid-chromatographic techniques for hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) stereoisomers and of tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A). At the detection stage, mass spectrometry (MS) has been developed as well-established and reliable technology in the identification and quantification of BFRs. A growing attention has been paid to quality assurance. Interlaboratory exercises directed towards BFRs have grown in popularity and have enabled laboratories to validate analytical methods and to guarantee the quality of their results. The analytical procedures used for the identification and characterization of several classes of BNCs, such as methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) (also metabolites of PBDEs), halogenated methyl or dimethyl bipyrroles (DBPs), are reviewed here for the first time. These compounds were generally identified during the routine analysis of BFRs and have received little attention until recently. For each topic, an overview is presented of its current status.

Instrumental methods and challenges in quantifying polybrominated diphenyl ethers in environmental extracts: a review

Increased interest in the fate, transport and toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) over the past few years has led to a variety of studies reporting different methods of analysis for these persistent organic pollutants. Because PBDEs encompass a range of vapor pressures, molecular weights and degrees of bromine substitution, various analytical methods can lead to discrimination of some PBDE congeners. Recent improvements in injection techniques and mass spectrometer ionization methods have led to a variety of options to determine PBDEs in environmental samples. The purpose of this paper is therefore to review the available literature describing the advantages and disadvantages in choosing an injection technique, gas chromatography column and detector. Additional discussion is given to the challenges in measuring PBDEs, including potential chromatographic interferences and the lack of commercial standards for higher brominated congeners, which provides difficulties in examining degradation and debromination of BDE congeners, particularly for BDE 209.