Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Nov 20;952:175836. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175836. Epub 2024 Aug 31.
Novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) have emerged as an alternative to traditional brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and may pose risks to the environment and human health. However, the distribution pattern of NBFRs in urbanized zones and their association with multiple socioeconomic variables have not been adequately explored. Herein, seven NBFRs were investigated in surface soil samples from Tianjin, China, a typical urbanized area. The ∑NBFRs ranged from n.d. to 101 ng/g, dry weight (dw) (mean: 12.6 ± 17.6 ng/g dw), which exhibited a relatively elevated level compared to NBFRs in soils from other regions worldwide. Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) was the main contaminant, and its concentration ranged from 0.378 to 99 ng/g, dry weight (dw) (mean: 11.4 ± 17.0 ng/g dw), accounting for 81 % of the ∑NBFRs. Notably, NBFRs exhibited peak concentrations within residential zones, significantly surpassing those recorded in the remaining four regions (green, farmland, water environment and other) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the concentration of NBFRs in the soil of the Binhai New District within Tianjin was the highest, significantly exceeding that of other administrative areas, which was closely related to the intensive industrial activities in this region. The above results indicate that human activities are a key factor affecting the concentration of NBFRs in the soil. Moreover, a variety of statistical methods were employed to investigate the correlation between socioeconomic variables and the distribution of NBFRs. The concentration of NBFRs showed a significant correlation with population density and the gross domestic product (GDP) (p < 0.05), and the incorporation of administrative regional planning into structural equation models demonstrated an indirect influence on the spatial distribution of NBFRs concentration, mediated by its impact on population density. These results emphasize the association between NBFRs contamination and the degree of urbanization, thereby providing valuable insights for assessing the exposure risk of NBFRs among urban residents.
新型溴化阻燃剂 (NBFRs) 已成为传统溴化阻燃剂 (BFRs) 的替代品，可能对环境和人类健康构成风险。然而，NBFRs 在城市化区域的分布模式及其与多种社会经济变量的关系尚未得到充分探讨。本研究在中国典型城市化地区天津市的表层土壤中调查了 7 种 NBFRs。∑NBFRs 的范围为未检出到 101ng/g，干重（dw）（平均值：12.6±17.6ng/g dw），与全球其他地区土壤中的 NBFRs 相比，处于相对较高的水平。十溴二苯乙烷（DBDPE）是主要污染物，浓度范围为 0.378 至 99ng/g，干重（dw）（平均值：11.4±17.0ng/g dw），占∑NBFRs 的 81%。值得注意的是，NBFRs 在居民区的浓度达到峰值，明显高于其余四个区域（绿地、农田、水环境和其他）（p<0.05）。此外，天津滨海新区土壤中的 NBFRs 浓度最高，明显高于其他行政区，这与该地区密集的工业活动密切相关。上述结果表明，人类活动是影响土壤中 NBFRs 浓度的关键因素。此外，还采用了多种统计方法来研究社会经济变量与 NBFRs 分布之间的相关性。NBFRs 浓度与人口密度和国内生产总值（GDP）呈显著相关（p<0.05），将行政区规划纳入结构方程模型表明，其通过对人口密度的影响，对 NBFRs 浓度的空间分布具有间接影响。这些结果强调了 NBFRs 污染与城市化程度之间的关联，从而为评估城市居民接触 NBFRs 的风险提供了有价值的见解。
