Investigation of photodegradation products generated after UV-irradiation of five polybrominated diphenyl ethers using photo solid-phase microextraction

J Chromatogr A. 2005 Apr 15;1071(1-2):85-92. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2004.10.065.

Abstract

In this study, the photoinduced degradation of five polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), BDE-47, BDE-100, BDE-99, BDE-154 and BDE-153, is studied using solid-phase microextraction polydimethylsiloxane fibers as photolytic support. PBDEs are extracted from aqueous solutions using SPME fibers that are subsequently exposed to UV irradiation for different times (from 2 to 60 min). Photodegradation kinetics of the five PBDEs, tentative identification and photochemical behavior of the generated photoproducts, as well as photodegradation pathways, have been studied employing this on-fiber approach technique (photo-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Aqueous photodegradation studies have also been performed and compared with photo-SPME. All the photoproducts detected in the aqueous experiments were previously found in the photo-SPME experiments. In this study, reductive debromination by successive losses of bromine atoms is confirmed as the main photodegradation pathway of PBDEs. A large number of PBDEs were obtained as photoproducts of the five target analytes. Other mechanism of photodegradation observed was intramolecular cyclization from the homolytic dissociation of the C-Br bond; thus, polybromo-dibenzofurans were generated. This work contributes to the study of the photodegradation of PBDEs and shows the potential of photo-SPME to evaluate the photo-transformation of organic pollutants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ethers / chemistry*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Photochemistry
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls / chemistry*
  • Reference Standards
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Ultraviolet Rays*

Substances

  • Ethers
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls