Determination of environmental persistent pollutants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in sediment samples of Mendoza river basin, Mendoza, Argentina

LANA, N. B.; FONTANA, A.; CIOCCO, N.; GARCÍA, S. R.; REPETTI, M. R.; BELDOMÉNICO, H. R.; ALTAMIRANO, J.

Villa María

Congreso; 1st International Congress of Environment and Renewable Energy; 2009

Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas de la Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Delegación Argentina de la Fundación para la Promoción de la Investigación y el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have become an issue of global contamination concern. Little information is found in the open literature on PBDEs in abiotic systems of the South America. This work reports the presence and concentration levels of several PBDEs congeners found in the sludge and sediments of Mendoza River basin. The selected PBDEs were those most commonly found in the literature in environmental samples: 2,2´,4,4´- tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), 2,2´,4,4´,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99), 2,2´,4,4´,6-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-100) and 2,2´,4,4´,5,5´-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153). The analytical methodology used for sample analysis was Soxhlet extraction fallowed gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The total concentration of PBDEs ranged from 725.3 to 1644.1 pg g-1, dry weight. The samples where significant PBDEs concentration levels have been found were associated with urban and industrialized geographical sites. The highest PBDE concentration was found in sewage sludge samples. Results show PBDEs concentration levels in Mendoza River sludge and sediments were lower than those previously report for these types of samples.