Recent studies have suggested that organophosphate esters (OPEs) are capable of long-range transport to remote environments. However, the transport mechanism and ultimate fate of these OPEs remain poorly understood, and few measurements of OPEs in seawater are available, with no measurements available below the sea surface.  To investigate the occurrence of OPEs in remote environments and learn more about marine transport and fate of these emerging contaminants, polyethylene passive samplers (PEs) deployed at deep mooring stations in Fram Strait from 2014-2015 and at surface water sites in the Canadian Arctic in 2015 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed for OPEs.  Chlorinated OPEs (Σ<sub>3</sub>Cl-OPE) were generally present at much greater concentrations (&lt;DL-7,390 pg/L) than alkyl- and aryl-OPEs (Σ<sub>7</sub>Alkyl/aryl-OPE 0.05-143 pg/L), with greatest concentrations in Arctic Ocean surface water.  Deep mooring depth profiles from 200 to 2,500 m showed unexpectedly flat vertical profiles, possibly due to a high degree of vertical mixing and/or release of particle-bound compounds into the dissolved phase at depth.  Dissolved OPEs were detected in North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean waters at much greater concentrations than other emerging flame retardants, highlighting their significance as a widespread contaminant of emerging concern with unknown impacts on remote marine environments.

Dissolved organophosphate ester flame retardants in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

254th National Meeting (2017)

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