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Review
. 2009 Feb;6(2):478-91.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph6020478. Epub 2009 Feb 5.

Environmental impact of flame retardants (persistence and biodegradability)

Osnat Segev  1 , Ariel Kushmaro, Asher Brenner
Affiliations
Review

Environmental impact of flame retardants (persistence and biodegradability)

Osnat Segev et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2009 Feb.

Abstract

Flame-retardants (FR) are a group of anthropogenic environmental contaminants used at relatively high concentrations in many applications. Currently, the largest market group of FRs is the brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Many of the BFRs are considered toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative. Bioremediation of contaminated water, soil and sediments is a possible solution for the problem. However, the main problem with this approach is the lack of knowledge concerning appropriate microorganisms, biochemical pathways and operational conditions facilitating degradation of these chemicals at an acceptable rate. This paper reviews and discusses current knowledge and recent developments related to the environmental fate and impact of FRs in natural systems and in engineered treatment processes.

Keywords: Biodegradation; Bioremediation; Brominated flame retardants; Dehalogenation; Flame retardants; Persistence.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Chemical structures of different flame retardants (FR). (A) inorganic FR: aluminium hydroxide; (B) organophosphorus FR: triphenylphosphate (C) nitrogen-containing FR: melamine; (D–F) halogenated organic FRs: (D) aliphatic FR: dibromoneopentyl glycol (DBNPG) (E) cycloaliphatic FR: hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and (F) aromatic FR: tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Debromination of dibromoneopentyl glycol (DBNPG) and tribromoneopentyl alcohol (TBNPA) by a bacterial consortium. (A) Bromide concentration in a DBNPG enrichment culture. (B) Bromide concentration in a TBNPA enrichment culture. The increase of bromide concentration in both culture is shown (black), as opposed to the value in control cultures (white) [63,64].
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
2,4,6 Tribromophenol (TBP) aerobic biodegradation by aerobic cultures simulating activated sludge processes. TBP concentration (▴) in the reactor decreases while the bromide concentration (▪) increases. The accumulation of the bromide indicates a debromination reaction [66].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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