Occurrence and Fate of Organophosphorus Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Urban and Remote Surface Waters in Germany

w a t e r r e s e a r c h 4 4 ( 2 0 1 0 ) 4 0 9 7 e4 1 0 4

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Occurrence and fate of organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in urban and remote surface waters in Germany

Julia Regnery*, Wilhelm Puttmann ¨

Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Altenhoeferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

article info

Article history: Received 13 January 2010 Received in revised form 17 May 2010 Accepted 18 May 2010 Available online 26 May 2010 Keywords: Lakes Photochemical degradation Precipitation Surface runoff TCEP TCPP

abstract

Within this study, concentration levels and distribution of the organophosphates tris(2chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris(2butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), tri-iso-butyl phosphate (TiBP), and tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP) were investigated at nine lentic surface waters under different anthropogenic impact between June 2007 and October 2009. Furthermore, the possibility of in-lake photochemical degradation of the analytes was studied in laboratory experiments using spiked ultrapure water and lake water samples incubated in Teflon bottles (which transmit sunlight). TBEP, TiBP, and TnBP were photochemically degraded in spiked lake water samples upon exposure to sunlight. Organophosphate concentrations in the more remote lakes were often below or close to the limits of quantification (LOQ). TCPP was the substance with the highest median concentration in rural volcanic lakes (7e18 ng LÀ1) indicating an atmospheric transport of the compound. At urban lakes their median concentrations were in the range of 23e61 ng LÀ1 (TCEP), 85e126 ng LÀ1 (TCPP), <LOQe53 ng LÀ1 (TBEP), 8e10 ng LÀ1 (TiBP), and 17e32 ng LÀ1 (TnBP). High variability but no significant seasonal trends were observed for all five organophosphates in urban...