Variability of release rate of flame retardants in wastewater treatment plants
- DOI
- Language of the publication
- English
- Date
- 2018-10-15
- Type
- Article
- Author(s)
- Shen, Jesse
- Smyth, Shirley Anne
- Droste, Ronald
- Delâge, Danaëlle
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
Abstract
Information on variability is important in the assessment of the releases and potential risks of brominated flame retardants (BRFs) in the environment, but related data are limited. In this study, two release-characterizing parameters, release fraction to final effluent and influent-biosolids transfer coefficient, were used to quantify releases of five BFRs from eight secondary wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The five BFRs are recalcitrant, hydrophobic, and low in volatility. The two parameters for these BFRs were found to vary from day to day and season to season within individual WWTPs as well as from one WWTP to another. These temporal and spatial variations were, however, comparable to each other and both within a factor of 3 above or below the parameter averages. Averages for release fraction were in the range of 0.02–0.29 and those for influent-biosolids transfer coefficient in the range of 3–26 L/g, depending upon a given BFR at a given WWTP. These ranges and the observed factor-3 variability are not only useful for estimating releases of the five BFRs, but more importantly provide read-across data for the assessment of substances with similar physical-chemical properties.
Subject
- Nature and environment,
- Science and technology
Rights
Pagination
34740–34752
Peer review
Yes
Open access level
Gold
Identifiers
- ISSN
- 1614-7499
Article
- Journal title
- Environmental Science and Pollution Research
- Journal volume
- 25
- Accepted date
- 2018-10-04
- Submitted date
- 2018-06-22