Waste combustion as a source of ambient air polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs)

The first comprehensive set of U.S. data on polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE) concentrations from municipal waste combustion (MWC), with more than 40 PBDE congeners reported, was compared to ambient air levels of PBDEs in the U.S. The PBDE profiles in the raw MWC flue gas reflected the historical production and usage pattern of PBDE-based flame retardants in North America, which favored Penta- and Deca- BDE formulations. The pattern of selected, routinely measured in the environment, PBDEs (TeBDE-47, PeBDE-99, PeBDE-100, HxBDE-153 and DcBDE-209) was similar in the MWC emissions and profiles most commonly reported for the U.S. atmosphere.The mean Σ PBDE concentrations in the clean flue gases collected from the stack were 0.13 and 1.7 ng dscm−1 during the steady state and transients of MWC, respectively (which was 98.6% reduction compare to the levels in the raw flue gases). The major PBDE congeners in the MWC flue gases were those typically found in PBDE technical mixes (TeBDE-47, PeBDE-99, PeBDE-100, HxBDE-153, HpBDE-183, OcBDE-197, NoBDE-206, NoBDE-207, NoBDE-208, DcBDE-209). The profile of the PBDEs in the raw flue gas was dominated by heavier congeners, especially DcBDE-209, while the profile of the stack flue gases profile was dominated by the lighter congeners (TeBDE-47, PeBDE-99, PeBDE-100 accounted for around 80% of total stack emissions). Some of the MWC flue gas samples exhibited enrichment of lower brominated congeners that are minor or not present in the technical mixtures, suggesting that debromination occurs during combustion. Congeners substituted in non- and mono-ortho positions (TeBDE-77, PeBDE-126, HxBDE-156 and -169) were detected mostly during the transients of MWC.

► First report on pre- and post-air pollution control system (APCS) levels of PBDEs in the flue gas of a U.S. MWC.
► Pre-APCS PBDE profiles resemble PBDE historical usage in North America.
► Post-APCS PBDE profile is similar to air-profiles commonly reported for North America