Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) has for many years been used in products to reduce their
flammability, mainly in electronic products, textiles and construction materials.
In 2003, Sweden imported 300 tons of brominated flame retardants.
Leakage of these compounds has polluted natural environments. Fishes has shown increased
contents of these substances, especially fat fish, since brominated flame retardants tends to
accumulate in fatty tissues.
They are also regarded as persistent and that gives them the ability to travel long distances.
What also is really scary is that increased levels of brominated flame retardants have been
detected in human breast milk.
The knowledge of the brominated flame retardants is limited and not so much research has been
done in this field. There are many reasons though, to keep the research going. Partly their
structural resemblance to well-known toxics as PCB, but also their ability to accumulate in
biological systems and enrich in food chains.
In which way they affect humans we really don’t know yet. Experiments on mice have been done
and behavioural disturbances were observed as well as a decrease in learning capacity.
The BRFs chosen for this study are hexabromocyclododecan (HBCD) and a polybrominated
diphenyl ether (PBDE) called pentabromodiphenylether (BDE 99).
About 25 % of the flame retardants produced in the world every year, consists of the brominated
ones. If we look at the PBDEs it’s mainly tetrabromodiphenylether (BDE 47),
pentabromodiphenylether (BDE 99), octabromodiphenylether (BDE 205) and
decabromodiphenylether (BDE 209) that are common flame retardants.
As from July 1st 2006, PBDE was forbidden in electric and electronic products (15).
January 1st 2007, a Swedish prohibition concerning the use of BDE-209 was established. BDE-
209 is not allowed on the Swedish market if the content of substance exceed 0,1 percent of weight
(23).
BDE-99 is classified as environmentally dangerous and a healthrisk. It´s not only toxic for
waterliving organisms but also for humans if exposed during a long time (19).
We shall develop a well functioning, reproducible and economic method to analyse HBCD and
PBDE in sediment. It includes extraction, cleanup and sample analyses with a ECD (electron
capture detector) equipped capillary gas chromatograph.
Several analyses of adequate diluted standards has been analysed in a GC-ECD to find suitable
temperature gradients. Then we produced spiked sediment samples with known amounts of
standards. To homogenize the spiked samples we used a mixer. As a first step in the extraction we
used acetone as a solvent. Then we used cyclohexane and NaCl (2%) to separate the nonpolar and
polar substances from each other. Cleanup with concentrated sulphuric acid was done and for
some samples we also used Fl...
