Involved Members & Researcher: Prof. Paul Kwan Sing LAM, Dr. Phoebe Yuefei RUAN, Dr. Hongru FENG

We investigated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in the seawater and surface sediment from the South China Sea collected in 2018. Decabromodiphenyl ether and decabromodiphenyl ethane were the predominant BFRs. Notably, two NBFRs, tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate and 2,4,6-tris (2,4,6- tribromophenoxy) -1,3,5-triazine, which were seldomly detected in aquatic matrices worldwide, were detected for the first time in the studied area, and their relatively high levels and detection frequencies indicate the ubiquitous application of these NBFRs in the Greater Bay Area. Zhuhai and Jiangmen are the main sources of NBFRs in the SCS.

Reference:

Feng, H.R., Cheng, Y., Ruan, Y.F., Tsui, M.M., Wang, Q., Jin, J., Wu, R., Zhang, H. & Lam, P.K.S. (2021). Occurrence and spatial distribution of legacy and novel brominated flame retardants in seawater and sediment of the South China sea. Environmental Pollution, 271, 116324.