Atmospheric concentrations of new POPs and emerging chemicals of concern in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region

ARISTIZÁBAL ZULUAGA, BEATRIZ HELENA; MIGLIORANZA, KARINA S.B.; CASTILLO, LUISA EUGENIA; SCHUSTER, JASMIN K.; POZO, KARLA; VILLA IBARRA, MARTIN; FILLMANN, GILBERTO; HARNER, TOM; MORENO RIVADENEIRA, ISABEL; FENTANES, OSCAR; ENG, ANITA; RAUERT, CASSANDRA

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2018

0013-936X

A special initiative was run by the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network to provide atmospheric data on a range of emerging chemicals of concern, candidate and new POPs in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Regional scale data for a range of flame retardants (FRs) including the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate esters (OPEs), and a range of alternative FRs (novel FRs) is reported over two years of sampling, with low detection frequencies of the novel FRs. Atmospheric concentrations of the OPEs were an order of magnitude higher than all other FRs, with similar profiles at all sites. Regional scale background concentrations of the poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including the neutral PFAS (n-PFAS) and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), and the volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) are also reported. Ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (EtFOSA) was detected at highly elevated concentrations in Brazil and Colombia, in line with the use of the pesticide sulfluramid in this region. Similar concentrations of the perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFAS) were detected throughout the GRULAC region, regardless of location type, and the VMS concentrations in air increased with population density of sampling locations. This is the first reporting of atmospheric concentrations of the PFAAs and VMS from this region.