Legacy and alternative flame retardants in typical freshwater cultured fish ponds of South China: Implications for evolving industry and pollution control

Jing Liu; Chan Liang; Bo Peng; Yu-Yu Zhang; Liang-Ying Liu; Eddy Y Zeng

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143016

Legacy and alternative flame retardants in typical freshwater cultured fish ponds of South China: Implications for evolving industry and pollution control

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Apr 1:763:143016. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143016. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

Authors

Jing Liu¹, Chan Liang¹, Bo Peng¹, Yu-Yu Zhang¹, Liang-Ying Liu², Eddy Y Zeng³

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China.
² Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China. Electronic address: liuliangying@jnu.edu.cn.
³ Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China; Research Center of Low Carbon Economy for Guangzhou Region, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.

PMID: 33139011
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143016

Abstract

The production and usage of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) has been gradually phased out and the application of alternative halogenated flame retardants (AHFRs) has been continuously increased. It is essential to understand how the evolving flame retardants industry has affected the occurrence and flux of legacy and alternative flame retardants so that better pollution control measures can be made accordingly. Air, rainwater, inflowing river water, pond water, pond sediment, fish feed, and fish collected from freshwater cultured fish ponds (FWCFPs) within the Pearl River Delta, South China were analyzed for PBDEs and AHFRs. Concentrations of AHFRs in air (range; median: 7.8-870; 210 pg m^-3), rainwater (0.88-65; 4.8 ng L^-1), and sediment (19-120; 54 ng g^-1 dry weight (d.w.)) were one order of magnitude higher than those of PBDEs in air (12-98; 21 pg m^-3), rainwater (0.18-15; 0.70 ng L^-1), and sediment (1.5-9.6, 2.9 ng g^-1 d.w.) (t-test; p < 0.05). Decabromodiphenyl ether and decabromodiphenylethane were the predominant BDE and AHFR components, respectively, agreeing well with the production and usage patterns of flame retardants in China. The average input fluxes of AHFRs to the FWCFPs via dry deposition, wet deposition, net air-water exchange, and feeding (38.6, 20.6, and 2.14, μg m^-2 yr^-1) were one order of magnitude higher than those of PBDEs (3.44, 5.17, and -10.1, μg m^-2 yr^-1). Elevated occurrence and input fluxes of AHFRs suggested that aquaculture production is potentially facing a new challenge from alternative flame retardants. Atmospheric dry and wet deposition are important input sources of AHFRs to the FWCFPs. Feeding is an important input pathway for both PBDEs and AHFRs. Pollution control measures should be modified to accommodate the evolving flame retardants industry.

Keywords: Air-water exchange; Decabromodiphenylethane; Dry and wet deposition; Input flux; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers.