Density Functional Theory Study of Marine Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Anaerobic Degradation

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)are a kind of serious pollutants in the ocean.Biodegradation is considered as an economical and safe way for PBDEs removal and reductive debromination dominates the initial pathway of anaerobic degradation.On the basis of experimental study,Octa-BDE 197,Hepta-BDE 183,Hexa-BDE 153,Penta-BDE 99 and Tetra-BDE 47 were selected as the initial degradation objects,and their debromination degradation were studied using density functional theory.The structures were optimized by Gaussian 09 program.Furthermore,the molecular orbitals and charge distribution were analyzed.All C-Br bond dissociation energies at different positions including ortho,meta and para bromine atoms were calculated and the sequence of debromination was obtained.There is a close relationship between molecular structure,charge,molecular orbital and C-Br bond.All PBDEs exhibited similar debromination pathways with preferential removal of meta and para bromines.

Ecotoxicological effects of mixed pollutants resulted from e-wastes recycling and bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Chinese loach(Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)

To understand potential ecotoxicological effects of electrical and electronic equipment waste （e-waste） recycling and polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） bioaccumulation in loaches, a semi-field experiment using Chinese loach （Misgurnus anguiUicaudatus） as experimental fish was performed. Larval loaches were kept in net-cage for three months in an e-wastes recycling site and a reference site in Southeastern China. There was significant difference of the survival rate between the loaches from the e-wastes recycling site （27%, 19/70） and from reference site （70%, 49/70）. Histopathological responses were also found in all the livers examined in loaches from the e-wastes recycling site. These results showed that mixed pollutants resulted from e-wastes recycling led to ecotoxicological effects on loaches. The bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs）, the main pollutants in e-waste, in loaches was also studied, the mean concentration of total PBDEs in sediment was 6726.17 ng/g wet weight and in water samples was 4.08 ng/L （dissolved phase）. BDE 209 was the dominant congener in sediment and with relatively high concentration in water. Relatively low concentration of BDE 209 （less than 0.01% of total PBDEs） and high concentration of BDE47 （up to 39.34% of total PBDEs） were detected in loaches.

Occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in fish and shellfish downstream from electronic-waste recycling plants

We measured 39 polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in the muscle tissue of three species of fish （Sciaenops ocellatus,Sparus macrocephalus,and Lateolabrax japonicus） and four species of shellfish （Tegillarca granosa,Cyclina sinensis,Sinonovacula constricta,and Ostrea cucullata） that were collected downstream of electronic-waste recycling plants in Taizhou,China.A total of 24 PBDE congeners （PBDE 24） in the samples were detected.The PBDE 24 （total PBDE） ranged from 545.4 to 1688.7 ng/kg ww （wet weight）.The mean PBDE 24 concentration was 1382.6 ng/kg ww in fish and 858.1 ng/kg ww in shellfish.The lower brominated congeners were detected at relatively high concentrations in all species.The penta-products,produced from e-waste,were found at relatively low levels.A principal component analysis suggested a significant correlation among di-,tri-,tetra-,and hepta-BDEs for the three species of fish.Similarly,we found a significant correlation between mono-and tri-BDEs in the shellfish.Our results suggested that the processes of PBDE metabolism and elimination were similar in both fish and shellfish.In addition,the primary source of PBDEs appeared to be from the debromination of high brominated PBDEs.

Predicting the Relative Retention Time (RRT) of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)

Using the molecular electronegativity distance vector descriptors derived directly from the molecular topological structures, the relative retention time （RRT） of polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） were predicted. A four-variable regression model （M30） with the correlation coefficient of 0.9816 and the root mean square errors of 0.061 was developed using a training set including 30 PBDEs. The correlation coefficient of 0.9841 and the root mean square errors of 0.054 between the values of RRT predicted by M30 and the RRT observed for 16 external PBDEs show a good predictive potential of M30. The descriptors included in the M30 represent four interactions between four pairs of atom types, i.e., atom -C= and -C=, -C= and 〉C=, 〉C= and 〉C=, -C= and -Br.

Concentrations of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Maternal Blood,Placental Size,and Risk for Fetal Growth Restriction:A Nested Case-control Study

Objective To explore the effects of prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)on placental size and birth outcomes.Methods Based on the perspective Wenzhou Birth Cohort,this nested case-control study included 101 fetal growth restriction(FGR)and 101 healthy newborns.Maternal serum samples were collected during the third trimester and measured for PBDEs by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The basic information of mother-newborn pairs was collected from questionnaires,whereas the placental size and birth outcomes of newborns were obtained from hospital records.Results A total of 19 brominated diphenyle ether(BDE)congeners were detected in maternal serum samples.Higher concentrations of BDE-207,-208,-209,and∑19PBDEs were detected in FGR cases than in controls.Increased BDE-207,-208,-209,and∑19PBDEs levels in maternal serum were related to decreased placental length,breadth,surface area,birth weight,birth length,gestational age,and Quetelet index of newborns.After adjusting for confounders,BDE-207 and∑19PBDE concentrations in maternal serum were significantly associated with an increased risk of FGR.Conclusion A negative association was found between PBDE levels in maternal serum and placental size and birth outcomes.Prenatal PBDE exposure may be associated with elevated risk of the incidence of FGR birth.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Surface Sediment from Songhua River Basin,Northeast of China

Sixty sediment samples were collected from the main Songhua River in three years. Twelve polybrominated diphenyl ether( PBDE) congeners( BDE17,28,47,66,99,100,153,154,138,183,and BDE-209) were detected to state the pollution situation. The results showed that the total concentration of total PBDEs ranges from 0. 424 to 23. 0 ng / g dry weight,with the mean of 3. 02 ng / g,and the total PBDEs concentration is at relative low level compared with those worldwide. The congener profile showed that BDE-209 is the dominant congener that accounts for more than 80. 1% of total PBDEs in sediments,followed by BDE-47 and BDE-99. These profiles are consistent with a high consumption of Deca-BDEs for the brominated flame retardant market in China. The results of spatial and seasonal observations indicated that local sources,temperature variation, and hydrologic conditions are significant factors on PBDEs concentrations. Hazard quotients suggested that PBDEs pose no potential risk to benthic organisms in detected area at present.

Colloid-facilitated release of polybrominated diphenyl ethers at an e-waste recycling site: evidence from undisturbed soil core leaching experiments

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of persistent organic pollutants, have been frequently detected in soil at e-waste recycling sites. However, the key factors controlling the transport of PBDEs from surface soil to the vadose zone and groundwater are unclear. Here, colloid-enhanced leaching of PBDEs from undisturbed soil cores collected at an e-waste recycling site in Tianjin, China, is reported. Spatially heterogeneous release of colloids and PBDEs was observed in all the tested soil cores under chemical and hydrodynamic perturbations, indicating the presence of preferential flow paths. Colloid concentration in the effluent significantly increased as ionic strength decreased (from 10 to 0.01 mmol/L), probably due to the stronger electrostatic repulsion between colloidal particles and the soil matrix at lower ionic strength. In contrast, colloid mobilization was not significantly affected by the changes in pH of the influent (from 4.0 to 10.0) and flow rate (from a Darcy velocity of 1.5 to 6.0 cm/h). The concentrations of 2,2′,3,3′,4,4′,5,5′,6,6′-decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), the predominant PBDE congener at the site, detected in the leachate (ranging from 1.09 to 3.43 ng/L) were much lower than previously reported results from packed column leaching tests, and were positively correlated with colloid concentrations. This indicates that remobilization of colloids at e-waste recycling sites can promote the leaching and downward migration of PBDEs from surface soil. The findings highlight the potential risk of surface soil PBDE contamination to groundwater quality and call for further understanding of colloid-facilitated transport for predicting the fate of PBDEs at e-waste recycling sites.

The interaction mechanisms of co-existing polybrominated diphenyl ethers and engineered nanoparticles in environmental waters: A critical review

This review focuses on the occurrence and interactions of engineered nanoparticles(ENPs)and brominated flame retardants(BFRs)such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)in water systems and the generation of highly complex compounds in the environment.The release of ENPs and BFRs(e.g.PBDEs)to aquatic environments during their usage and disposal are summarised together with their key interaction mechanisms.The major interaction mechanisms including electrostatic,van derWaals,hydrophobic,molecular bridging and steric,hydrogen andπ-bonding,cation bridging and ligand exchange were identified.The presence of ENPs could influence the fate and behaviour of PBDEs through the interactions as well as induced reactions under certain conditions which increases the formation of complex compounds.The interaction leads to alteration of behaviour for PBDEs and their toxic effects to ecological receptors.The intermingled compound(ENPs-BFRs)would show different behaviour from the parental ENPs or BFRs,which are currently lack of investigation.This review provided insights on the interactions of ENPs and BFRs in artificial,environmental water systems and wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs),which are important for a comprehensive risk assessment.

Efficient removal of polybrominated diphenyl ethers from soil washing effluent by dummy molecular imprinted adsorbents: Selectivity and mechanisms

Surfactant enhanced elution is an effective method for removing hydrophobic organic pollutants from soils.The key to the development of leaching technology is selective removal of targeted pollutants in soil washing effluent and recycling of surfactant solutions.In this study,a molecular imprinting technique was applied to selectively sorb polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)in soil washing effluent.The novel molecular imprinted polymers(MIPs)using different template molecules were synthesized by precipitation polymerization.Adsorption behaviors andmechanisms ofMIPs were studied through experiments and theoretical calculations.The results show that 4-bromo-4'-hydroxybiphenyl and toluene can be effective imprinting molecule for MIPs synthesis.The maximal adsorption capacity of selected dummy molecular imprinted polymer(D1-MIP)was 1032.36μmol/g,and that of part molecular imprinted polymer(P-MIP)was 981.13μmol/g.Their imprinting factors in 5 PBDEs adsorption ranged from 2.13 to 5.88,the recovery percentage of Triton X-100 can reach 99.09%,confirming the feasibility of reusing surfactant.Various PBDEs could be removed by MIPs,and Quantitative Structure Property Relationship analysis revealed that PBDEs’molecular volume,planarity,polarity,and hydrophobicity have major influences on their adsorption performance.DFT calculation revealed that Van derWaals force and hydrogen bonding played important roles during selective adsorption.These results can provide effective theoretical guidance for surfactant enhanced soil elution in practical engineering applications.

Chemical reductive technologies for the debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers: A review

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)are widely used as brominated flame retardants,which had attracted amounts of attention due to their harmful characteristics of high toxicity,environmental persistence and potential bioaccumulation.Many chemical reductive debromination technologies have been developed for the debromination of PBDEs,including photolysis,photocatalysis,electrocatalysis,zero-valent metal reduction,chemically catalytic reduction and mechanochemical method.This review aims to provide information about the degradation thermodynamics and kinetics of PBDEs and summarize the degradation mechanisms in various systems.According to the comparative analysis,the rapid debromination to generate bromine-free products in an electron-transfer process,of which photocatalysis is a representative one,is found to be relatively difficult,because the degradation rate of PBDEs depended on the Br-rich phenyl ring with the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO)localization.On the contrary,the complete debromination occurs easily in other systems with active hydrogen atoms as the main reactive species,such as chemically catalytic reduction systems.The review provides the knowledge on the chemical reductive technique of PBDEs,which would greatly help not only clarify the degradation mechanism but also design the more efficient system for the rapid and deep debromination of PBDEs in the future.

Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and decabromodiphenylethane in surface sediments from Fuhe River and Baiyangdian Lake,North China

Nineteen surface sediment samples collected from Baiyangdian Lake and its inflowing river （Fuhe River） in North China were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） and decabromodiphenylethane （DBDPE）. The concentrations of PBDEs and DBDPE in sediments ranged from 5.5 to 300.7 ng/g dry weight （dw） and 1.1 to 68.2 ng/g dw, respectively. Their levels in sediments in Fuhe River were significantly higher than those in Balyandian Lake. Compared to data from other regions, the PBDE levels in surface sediments from Baiyangdian Lake and Fuhe River were in the medium to lower range. Among the PBDE congeners, BDE209 was predominant, with contributions to the total PBDEs ranging from 79.4% to 97.3% in sediment samples. For the lowly brominated congeners （tri- to hepta-BDE）, BDE47 and BDE99 were the most abundant, which contributed 52.1% and 44.1% to the sum of tri- to hepta-BDEs in the sediments from Baiyangdian Lake and Fuhe River, respectively. The compositional patterns of PBDEs in Baiyangdian Lake sediments indicated that technical deca-BDE mixture was the major pollutant sources with a minor contribution of penta-BDE mixture. The present study suggested that the importance of Fuhe River as a possibly potential sources of PBDEs contamination in Baiyangdian Lake.

A review of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and alternative brominated flame retardants in wildlife from China:Levels,trends,and bioaccumulation characteristics

Accelerated industrialization and urbanization,and unregulated disposal of waste of electric and electronic equipment（e-waste） in China have caused environmental pollution of brominated flame retardants（BFRs）.This review summarized the levels,trends,and bioaccumulation characteristics of polybrominated diphenyl ethers（PBDEs） and other potential alternative BFRs including hexabromocyclododecanes（HBCDs）,1,2-bis（2,4,6-dibromophenoxy） ethane（BTBPE） and decabromodiphenylethane（DBDPE） in wildlife from China.PBDE levels in wildlife from China were generally higher than those from other parts in Asia,and were comparable to those from Europe but were lower than those from North America.However,wildlife from the e-waste recycling sites in South China and East China contained much higher PBDEs compared to other reports around the world,suggesting the heavy contamination of PBDEs in these regions.The alternative BFRs were also detected in wildlife,revealing that the animals are exposed to these chemicals,in addition to PBDEs.Temporal trends indicated by levels in marine mammals from South China suggested that PBDE levels increased from the beginning of 1990s to 2000s,but decreased from the middle of 2000s,followed by relatively steady levels.In contrast,HBCDs were found to be continuously increasing from 1997 to 2007,indicating the increasing usage of HBCDs in China in recent years.Compared to PBDE profiles found in other parts,aquatic species and birds from China contained relatively higher contributions of BDE28 and 209,respectively,suggesting the possible different usage pattern of PBDEs.Future works including keeping monitoring at a reasonable scale and frequency to make sure levels near urban centers indicative of population do not increase are needed.Additionally,focus effort on e-waste recycling regions to look for impacts and to determine if regulation/controls are resulting in lower environmental contamination,and incorporation of sentinel species in monitoring efforts are recommended.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in atmosphere and soil of a production area in China:Levels and partitioning

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） were measured in atmosphere and soil samples taken in winter and summer at a PBDE production area of Laizhou Bay in China. The concentrations of ∑11PBDE were 0.017-1.17 ng/m3 in gaseous phase, 0.5-161.1 ng/m3 in particulate phase, and 73-2629 ng/g dry weight in soil samples. The PBDE congener pattern in the gaseous phase differed from that in the particulate phase, and the PBDE congener pattern in the particulate phase was similar with that in soil. This demonstrated that there was little difference with atmospheric particle-soil transfer efficiency among PBDE congeners. In addition, there were seasonal variations in percentages on particle for lower brominated congeners. The BDE-28 was mostly in the gaseous phase in summer （88.3%）, whereas the average proportion of BDE-28 in gaseous phase in winter was 38.9%. Higher brominated congeners （i.e., BDE-206, BDE- 207, BDE-208, and BDE-209） were bound to the atmospheric particulate phase, and their potentials for long-range migration were mainly affected by the environmental behavior of atmospheric particles. Results indicated that PBDE congeners in summer were closer to gas-particle partition equilibrium than in winter. Temperature should be considered the main factor causing nonequilibrium in winter.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in chicken tissues and eggs from an electronic waste recycling area in southeast China

The levels and distributions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in chicken tissues from an electronic waste （e-waste） recycling area in southeast China were investigated. Human dietary intake by local residents via chicken muscle and eggs was estimated. The mean PBDEs concentrations in tissues ranged from 15.2 to 3138.1 ng/g lipid weight （lw） and in egg the concentration was 563.5 ng/g lw. The results showed that the level of total PBDEs （∑PBDEs） in the chicken tissue was 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than those reported in the literature. The large difference of ∑PBDEs concentrations between tissues confirmed that the distribution of PBDEs in tissues depend on tissue-specificity rather than the ＂lipid-compartment＂. BDE-209 was the predominant congener （82.5%- 94.7% of ∑PBDEs） in all chicken tissues except in brain （34.7% of ∑PBDEs）, which indicated that deca-BDE （the major commercial PBDE formulation comprising 65%-70% of total production） was major pollution source in this area and could be bioaccumulated in terrestrial animals. The dietary PBDEs intake of the local residents from chicken muscle and egg, assuming only local bred chickens and eggs were consumed, ranged from 2.2 to 22.5 ng/（day.kg body weight （bw）） with a mean value of 13.5 ng/（day-kg bw）, which was one order of magnitude higher than the value reported in previous studies for consumption of all foodstuffs.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil from three typical industrial areas in Beijing, China

Areas containing industrial facilities belonging to three different typical industries that may cause pollution by polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in Beijing, China were investigated. Specifically, the areas contained a solid waste incineration plant, a chemical factory, and a heat and power plant. Investigation of the pollution status of PBDEs in the surface soil from areas around these industries revealed the highest concentration of 42 PBDE congeners （118 ng/g, dry mass） at the solid waste incineration plant. In the other two plants, the highest concentrations were both 26 ng/g （dry mass）. Among the PBDE homologues, the PBDE contamination at all sites showed similar congener compositions, with BDE 209 being the dominant congener. Our findings established the first contamination status of three typical industrial areas in Beijing. Furthermore, the total concentrations of 42 PBDE congeners tended to decrease as the distance from the investigated plants increased. Overall, these plants were identified as potential pollution sources of PBDEs in Beijing. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the major PBDE source in Beijing may be associated with the technical deca-BDE and penta-BDE mixture. Based on the data obtained in this preliminary investigation, further study of the potential of these sources to emit PBDEs in Beijing is warranted.

Optimization of an in vitro method to measure the bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in dust using response surface methodology

To more reasonably evaluate human intake of PBDEs via dust ingestion, bioaccessibility should be taken into account. Previously, we developed an in vitro method to determine the bioaccessibility of PBDEs in food. Here, this method was adapted to determine the bioaccessibility of PBDEs in dust and the digestion conditions that influenced the bioaccessibility of PBDEs were optimized. The digestion conditions included the incubation time of dust in the intestinal digestion solution （T）, the bile concentration in the intestinal digestion solution （Chile）, and the ratio of the volume of the intestinal digestion solution to dust （R）. The influence of the concentrations of individual PBDE congeners （CpBDE） on the bioaccessibility of PBDEs was also investigated. Cetral composite design was used to build an experimental model and set experimental parameters, and response surface methodology was used to analyze the obtained data. The results showed that the bioaccessibility of PBDEs increased with the increases of Chile and R, and was independent of T and CpSDE. Under the digestion conditions with Chile and R being at 4.0-7.0 g/L and 150-250, respectively, the bioaccessibility of PBDEs in the method-dust varied from 39.2% to 72.8%, which were comparable with the bioaccessibility or bioavailability of PBDEs in dust/soil in the literature. Thus, the in vitro method to measure the bioaccessibility of PBDEs in dust was established and validated. Finally, the bioaccessibility of PBDEs in four natural dust samples, which ranged from 36.1% to 43.3%, were determined using the adapted method.

Removing polybrominated diphenyl ethers in pure water using Fe/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） have been widely used as fire-retardants. Due to their high production volume, widespread usage, and environmental persistence, PBDEs have become ubiquitous contaminants in various environments.Nanoscale zero-valent iron （ZVI） is an effective reductant for many halogenated organic compounds. To enhance the degradation efficiency, ZVI/ Palladium bimetallic nanoparticles （nZVI/Pd） were synthe- sized in this study to degrade decabromodiphenyl ether （BDE209） in water. Approximately 90% of BDE209 was rapidly removed by nZVI/Pd within 80 min, whereas about 25% of BDE209 was removed by nZVL Degradation of BDE209 by nZVI/Pd fits pseudo-first-order kinetics. An increase in pH led to sharply decrease the rate of BDE209 degradation. The degradation rate constant in the treatment with initial pH at 9.0 was more than 6.8 x higher than that under pH 5.0. The degradation intermediates of BDE209 by nZVI/Pd were identified and the degradation pathways were hypothesized. Results from this study suggest that nZV//Pd may be an effective tool for treating polybromi- nated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in water.

Occurrence and bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediments and paddy ecosystems of Liaohe River Basin, northeast China

Concentrations of 16 polybrominated diphenyl ether（PBDE） congeners were measured in river sediments, paddy soils and three species of paddy-field organisms（crab, loach and carp） collected from the Liaohe River Basin, northeastern China. The total contents of PBDEs（∑_（16）PBDEs） in sediments and paddy soils were in the ranges of 273.4–3246.3 pg/g dry weight（dw）, and 192.1–1783.8 pg/g dw, respectively. BDE 209 was the dominant congener both in sediments and paddy soils. The concentrations of ∑_（16）PBDEs in sediments were significantly higher than those in the adjacent paddy soils, indicating a potential transport of PBDEs from river to paddy ecosystems via river water irrigation. The biota–soil accumulation factor（BSAF） was calculated as the ratio between the lipid-normalized concentration in paddyfield organisms and the total organic carbon-normalized concentration in paddy soil. The average BSAF values of ∑15PBDEs followed the sequence of crab（3.6） 〉 loach（3.3） 〉 carp（2.1）. BDE 154 had the highest BSAF value, and a parabolic trend between BSAF values of individual PBDE congeners and their log KOWvalues was observed. In view of the fact that crab had the larger BSAF value and higher lipid content, the ecological risk and health risk for crab cultivation in paddy fields should be of particular concern.

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations on the bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by Prorocentrum donghaiense

The growth, cellular total lipids, bioaccumulation amount, and bioaccumulation factors （BAFs） of 2,4,4 ′ -tribromodiphenyl ether （BDE28）, 2,2 ′ ,4,4 ′ -tetrabromodiphenyl ether （BDE47）, and 2,2 ′ ,4,4 ′ ,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether （BDE99） in a semi-continuous culture of Prorocentrum donghaiense were studied in relation to nitrate （0, 128, and 512 μmol/L） and phosphate （0, 8, and 32 μmol/L） concentrations. The BDE28, BDE47, and BDE99 content per cell under 0 μmol N/L were 3.77 × 10 6 , 3.95 × 10 6 , and 4.32 × 10 6 ng/cell, respectively, which were significantly higher than those under 128 and 512 μmol N/L. A nearly 5-fold increase in polybrominated diphenyl ether （PBDE） content per algal cell was found between 0 and 8 μmol P/L and between 8 and 32 μmol P/L. With increasing N and P concentrations, the PBDE content per volume of algal culture and the accumulation percentage of available PBDEs declined slightly. The BAFs for the PBDEs based on lipids showed that the logBAF lip under 0 μmol N/L was higher than those under 128 and 512 μmol N/L. The logBAF lip under 0 μmol P/L was higher than that under 8 μmol P/L but lower than that under 32 μmol P/L. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between nutrient concentration and cellular total lipids, as well as the PBDE content per cell. The results indicate that different N and P concentrations change the total lipids content of P. donghaiense, thereby resulting in varying PBDE accumulation.

Uptake, translocation, and debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in maize

Uptake, translocation and debromination of three polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs）, BDE-28, -47 and -99, in maize were studied in a hydroponic experiment. Roots took up most of the PBDEs in the culture solutions and more highly brominated PBDEs had a stronger uptake capability. PBDEs were detected in the stems and leaves of maize after exposure but rarely detected in the blank control plants. Furthermore, PBDE concentrations decreased from roots to stems and then to leaves, and a very clear decreasing gradient was found in segments upwards along the stem. These altogether provide substantiating evidence for the acropetal translocation of PBDEs in maize. More highly brominated PBDEs were translocated with more difficulty. Radial translocation of PBDEs from nodes to sheath inside maize was also observed. Both acropetal and radial translocations were enhanced at higher transpiration rates, suggesting that PBDE transport was probably driven by the transpiration stream. Debromination of PBDEs occurred in all parts of the maize, and debromination patterns of different parent PBDEs and in different parts of a plant were similar but with some differences. This study for the first time provides direct evidence for the acropetal translocation of PBDEs within plants, elucidates the process of PBDE transport and clarifies the debromination products of PBDEs in maize.