Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are being used in increasingly high volumes as replacements for phased out flame retardants such as the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).  While originally thought to be less persistent than PBDEs, OPEs are now known to undergo long-range transport and are often found at much greater concentrations than PBDEs, even in remote water bodies.  Previous studies have measured PBDEs in Great Lakes air and water, but we know very little about the spatial distribution, air-water exchange, and sources of OPEs to the Great Lakes.  In this study, extracts from polyethylene passive samplers (PEs) deployed in water throughout the lower Great Lakes (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario) in the spring and summer of 2014 were analyzed for a suite of OPEs.  Extracts from the mouths of the Detroit, Maumee, and Niagara Rivers showed elevated concentrations of several OPEs, with tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP) and the plasticizer 2-ethylhexyl-diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) detected above blank levels most frequently. Σ<sub>11</sub>OPE ranged from &lt;DL to 17 ng/L at the mouth of the Detroit River, the major tributary to Lake Erie.  Data from water deployments will be used along with data from simultaneous atmospheric deployments to determine the direction and magnitude of diffusive air-water exchange fluxes for OPEs in the lakes.  Spatial distributions and potential sources of OPEs to Great Lakes water will be discussed, and results will be compared to those for PBDEs and novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs).<br/> <br/>

Organophosphate flame retardants in the lower Great Lakes: Spatial distribution and air-water exchange

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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