Organophosphate esters in the urban atmosphere of Thessaloniki city, Greece

Ioanna Pantelaki; Dimitra Voutsa

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141125

Organophosphate esters in the urban atmosphere of Thessaloniki city, Greece

Chemosphere. 2024 Mar:351:141125. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141125. Epub 2024 Jan 5.

Authors

Ioanna Pantelaki¹, Dimitra Voutsa²

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 124, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: ipantelaki@chem.auth.gr.
² Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 124, Thessaloniki, Greece.

PMID: 38185429
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141125

Abstract

The occurrence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the atmosphere of the urban area of Thessaloniki city, Greece was studied. OPEs were determined in particulate matter (PM_2.5) and precipitation during the period 2020-2021. ∑OPEs in rainwater ranged from 520 to 4719 ng L^-1¹ (mean: 1662 ng L^-1) with tris (2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) and tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TClPP) being the most abundant compounds. TBOEP and TClPP as well as triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) and tris (chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) were the dominant OPEs in PM_2.5. Concentrations of ∑OPEs in PM_2.5ranged from 2.82 to 13.3 ng m^-3 (mean: 5.93 ng m^-3). Wet deposition fluxes of OPEs were estimated and air mass back trajectories were used to elucidate possible source profiles. An overall low health risk for local population via inhalation of OPEs was revealed.

Keywords: Exposure; Organophosphate esters; PM(2.5); Precipitation; Risk; Wet deposition.

MeSH terms

Atmosphere
China
Environmental Monitoring*
Esters / analysis
Flame Retardants* / analysis
Greece
Organophosphates / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Phosphates

Substances

Esters
Flame Retardants
Organophosphates
Particulate Matter
Phosphates