Are Wastewater Treatment Plants Sources for Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)?
La Guardia, M1, Hale, R1, Harvey, E1, 1 Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USA ABSTRACT- The increasing concentrations of PBDEs in the environment have been recognized as a human and ecological health concern. However, the sources and routes of their release to the environment have been poorly investigated. Nonetheless, their environmental distributions are now tracking those of other POPs such as PCBs. Although, PBDE contamination has previously been associated with some industrial facilities, they have begun to be reported in sewage sludge and effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Here, we analyzed WWTP associated samples for PBDEs and investigated their distribution in the surrounding aquatic environment. EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory indicated local commercial use of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) in the area. Tetra- through deca-BDEs were detected in the WWTP influent at ng to g/L levels. BDE209 w
