SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.37 issue3Uranium pollution of the Wonderfonteinspruit, 1997-2008 Part 2: Uranium in water - concentrations, loads and associated risksRevisiting the stream-aquifer flow problem with a flux-based Green element model author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • On index processCited by Google
  • On index processSimilars in Google

Share


Water SA

On-line version ISSN 1816-7950
Print version ISSN 0378-4738

Abstract

DASO, Adegbenro P; FATOKI, Olalekan S  and  ODENDAAL, James P. Development of analytical procedures for the simultaneous determination of tri- to heptabrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabrominated biphenyl (BB 153) in sediment samples. Water SA [online]. 2011, vol.37, n.3, pp.331-338. ISSN 1816-7950.

A simple analytical procedure was developed for simultaneous determination of trace levels of tri- to hepta-BDEs as well as 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexabromobiphenyl (BB 153). The mechanical shaking extraction technique for the isolation of target analytes was optimised. Different extraction solvent combinations were tested under different extraction time periods of 3, 6, 12 and 16 h. The n-hexane:acetone (2:1, v/v) combination gave the best recovery at the optimum extraction of 12 h. Target analytes were quantified using a high capillary gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with an electron capture detector. Under the optimum GC conditions, the resolution of the co-eluting BDE 154 and BB 153 was achieved. The overall recoveries of target analytes in the matrix spike experiment conducted ranged between 84.4 and 110% for BDE 183 and BDE 28, respectively. The method was applied to 19 field sediment samples collected from a control site and from 3 sampling locations (upstream, point of discharge and downstream) of the Black River, which receives effluent from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The sum of the mean concentrations of all of the 7 PBDE congeners was 4.63, 0.35, 'not detectable' and 4.43 ng/g, for the control site, upstream, point of discharge and downstream samples, respectively. The concentrations of BB 153 were generally low in these samples and ranged between ND and 0.89 ng/g. The developed method allows for the simultaneous determination of PBDE congeners and BB 153. It is efficient, moderately rapid and cost-effective.

Keywords : PBDEs; sediment; wastewater treatment plant (WWTP); Black River; Cape Town.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License