Determination of PBDEs, HBB, PBEB, DBDPE, HBCD, TBBPA and related compounds in sewage sludge from Catalonia (Spain)

The objective of this study was to determine different brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in sewage sludge produced in 17 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the Northeast of Spain. A total of eight polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, from tri- to deca-BDEs, were analyzed. The emerging BFR compounds, hexabromobenzene (HBB), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB) and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) were also analyzed. The instrumental methodology for the analysis was based on gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with negative chemical ionization (GC-NICI-MS). Moreover, liquid cromathography-quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-QqLIT-MS/MS) was applied for the determination of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and their related compounds, bisphenol A (BPA), monobromobisphenol A (MonoBBPA), dibromobisphenol A (DiBBPA) and tribromobisphenol A (TriBBPA).The most abundant PBDE congener in these sewage sludge samples was BDE-209, with levels ranging from nd to 2303 ng/g dw. In addition, a significant concentrations of DBDPE were also detected, nd–257 ng/g dw, due to their increase production as a Deca-BDE substitute. The emerging compounds HBB and PBEB were detected in 4 WWTPs and their concentrations ranged between nd–5.71 and nd–2.33 ng/g, respectively. TBBPA was detected in quantifiable levels in 15 of the 17 WWTPs analyzed, in concentration range of nd–472 ng/g dw, whereas HBCDs were only found in 8 WWTPs in lower concentrations, between nd and 97.5 ng/g dw.Based on the analysis of sewage sludge samples from different WWTPs and in order to evaluate the impact of these contaminants in the environment, an estimation of BFRs accumulated in the total sewage sludge produced in Catalonia was carried out, with values of 57.8 kg/year, 6.76 kg/year, 13.5 kg/year, 1.56 kg/year, 0.18 kg/year and 0.02 kg/year for PBDEs, DBDPE, TBBPA, HBCDs, HBB and PBEB respectively.

► PBDEs and emerging BFRs in sewage sludge from Catalonia (Spain) were analyzed.
► BDE-209 and TBBPA were present in almost all the samples.
► DBDPE was present in a great number of samples, indicating its usage increase.
► 58 kg of PBDEs was estimated as accumulated in sludge produced annually in Catalonia.