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Measurement of flame retardants and triclosan in municipal sewage sludge and biosolids.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Davis, EF; Klosterhaus, SL; Stapleton, HM
Published in: Environment international
April 2012

As polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) face increasing restrictions worldwide, several alternate flame retardants are expected to see increased use as replacement compounds in consumer products. Chemical analysis of biosolids collected from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can help determine whether these flame retardants are migrating from the indoor environment to the outdoor environment, where little is known about their ultimate fate and effects. The objective of this study was to measure concentrations of a suite of flame retardants, and the antimicrobial compound triclosan, in opportunistic samples of municipal biosolids and the domestic sludge Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2781. Grab samples of biosolids were collected from two WWTPs in North Carolina and two in California. Biosolids samples were also obtained during three subsequent collection events at one of the North Carolina WWTPs to evaluate fluctuations in contaminant levels within a given facility over a period of three years. The biosolids and SRM 2781 were analyzed for PBDEs, hexabromobenzene (HBB), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), 2-ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB), di(2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), the chlorinated flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (syn- and anti-isomers), and the antimicrobial agent 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol (triclosan). PBDEs were detected in every sample analyzed, and ΣPBDE concentrations ranged from 1750 to 6358ng/g dry weight. Additionally, the PBDE replacement chemicals TBB and TBPH were detected at concentrations ranging from 120 to 3749 ng/g dry weight and from 206 to 1631 ng/g dry weight, respectively. Triclosan concentrations ranged from 490 to 13,866 ng/g dry weight. The detection of these contaminants of emerging concern in biosolids suggests that these chemicals have the potential to migrate out of consumer products and enter the outdoor environment.

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Published In

Environment international

DOI

EISSN

1873-6750

ISSN

0160-4120

Publication Date

April 2012

Volume

40

Start / End Page

1 / 7

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid
  • Triclosan
  • Sewage
  • North Carolina
  • Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
  • Flame Retardants
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • California
 

Citation

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Davis, E. F., Klosterhaus, S. L., & Stapleton, H. M. (2012). Measurement of flame retardants and triclosan in municipal sewage sludge and biosolids. Environment International, 40, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2011.11.008
Davis, Elizabeth F., Susan L. Klosterhaus, and Heather M. Stapleton. “Measurement of flame retardants and triclosan in municipal sewage sludge and biosolids.Environment International 40 (April 2012): 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2011.11.008.
Davis EF, Klosterhaus SL, Stapleton HM. Measurement of flame retardants and triclosan in municipal sewage sludge and biosolids. Environment international. 2012 Apr;40:1–7.
Davis, Elizabeth F., et al. “Measurement of flame retardants and triclosan in municipal sewage sludge and biosolids.Environment International, vol. 40, Apr. 2012, pp. 1–7. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.envint.2011.11.008.
Davis EF, Klosterhaus SL, Stapleton HM. Measurement of flame retardants and triclosan in municipal sewage sludge and biosolids. Environment international. 2012 Apr;40:1–7.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environment international

DOI

EISSN

1873-6750

ISSN

0160-4120

Publication Date

April 2012

Volume

40

Start / End Page

1 / 7

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid
  • Triclosan
  • Sewage
  • North Carolina
  • Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
  • Flame Retardants
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • California