1 research outputs found
Degradation of Polymeric Brominated Flame Retardants: Development of an Analytical Approach Using PolyFR and UV Irradiation
Many
well-established methods for studying the degradation of brominated
flame retardants are not useful when working with polymeric and water
insoluble species. An example for this specific class of flame retardants
is PolyFR (polymeric flame retardant; CAS No 1195978–93–8),
which is used as a substituent for hexabromocyclododecane. Although
it has been on the market for two years now, almost no information
is available about its long time behavior in the environment. Within
this study, we focus on how to determine a possible degradation of
both pure PolyFR as well as PolyFR in the final insulation product,
expanded polystyrene foam. Therefore, we chose UV radiation followed
by analyses of the total bromine content at different time points
via ICP-MS and identified possible degradation products such as 2,4,6-tribromophenol
through LC-MS. These results were then linked with measurements of
the adsorbable organically bound bromine and total organic carbon
in order to estimate their concentrations. With respect to the obtained <sup>1</sup>H NMR, GPC, and contact angle results, the possibility for
further degradation was discussed, as UV irradiation can influence
the decomposition of molecules in combination with other environmental
factors like biodegradation