The fractional patterns of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the soil of the central Tibetan Plateau, China: The influence of soil components

Sixteen soil samples were collected from the central Tibetan Plateau (CTP). The soil concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in CTP were analyzed. The detected 42 congeners were divided into light, intermediate and heavy fractions. In addition to the various minerals, other soil properties were also characterized, including the content of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the particle size distribution. The clay content is positively related to the intermediate fraction of the PBDEs and negatively related to the light and heavy fractions. Similar correlations were observed for SOC and the fine-particle fraction (size < 2 μm). The coefficient of determination (r2) associated with a linear regression indicated that the clays were more highly correlated with the fractional pattern of the PBDEs than with the other properties, such as SOC and the fine-particle fraction. The values of r2 between clays and three fractions of PBDEs are 0.70, 0.69 and 0.58.

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► All data about soil and PBDEs were based on field data rather than experiments.
► The intermediate fraction of PBDEs increased with increases in the clay content.
► The clays were more strongly correlated with PBDEs fractional patterns than SOC.