Abiotic Methylation of Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) with the Occurrence of Methyl Iodide in Aqueous Environments

Xingwang Hou; Wenqian Kong; Xiaoyun Wang; Yanwei Liu; Weifang Chen; Jiyan Liu; Jerald L Schnoor; Guibin Jiang

doi:10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00445

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Abiotic Methylation of Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) with the Occurrence of Methyl Iodide in Aqueous Environments

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Abiotic Methylation of Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) with the Occurrence of Methyl Iodide in Aqueous Environments

Xingwang Hou, Wenqian Kong, Xiaoyun Wang, Yanwei Liu, Weifang Chen, Jiyan Liu, Jerald L Schnoor and Guibin Jiang

Environmental science & technology letters, Vol.6(9), pp.558-564

09/10/2019

DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00445

PMID: 33163543

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/7643859View

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Abstract

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is the most widely used brominated flame retardant in the world. Its biotic methylation products, tetrabromobisphenol A mono- and dimethyl ether (TBBPA MME and TBBPA DME, respectively), are frequently detected in the environment, but the importance of abiotic methylation reactions of TBBPA in the environment is not known. In this study, the methylation of TBBPA mediated by methyl iodide (CH3I), a ubiquitous compound in aqueous environments, was investigated in simulated waters in the laboratory. It was found that abiotic methylation occurred under both light and dark conditions and was strongly affected by the pH, temperature, and natural organic matter concentration of the water. Abiotic methylation was further verified in natural river water, and the yield of TBBPA MME mediated abiotically by CH3I was much greater than that of biotic methylation. According to our calculations and by comparison of the activation energies (E a) for the abiotic methylation of TBBPA and the other four typical phenolic contaminants and/or metabolites (bisphenol A, triclosan, 5-OH-BDE-47, and 4′-OH-CB-61) mediated by CH3I, those phenolic compounds all show great methylation potentials. The results indicate a new abiotic pathway for generating TBBPA MME and TBBPA DME from TBBPA, and they also confirm the potentials for abiotic methylation of other phenolic contaminants in aqueous environments.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Abiotic Methylation of Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) with the Occurrence of Methyl Iodide in Aqueous Environments
Creators: Xingwang Hou - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wenqian Kong - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaoyun Wang - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yanwei Liu - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Weifang Chen - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jiyan Liu - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jerald L Schnoor - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Guibin Jiang - University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Environmental science & technology letters, Vol.6(9), pp.558-564
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00445
PMID: 33163543
NLM abbreviation: Environ Sci Technol Lett
ISSN: 2328-8930
eISSN: 2328-8930
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000066, name: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, award: P42ES013661; DOI: 10.13039/501100002855, name: Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, award: 2018YFC1800702; DOI: 10.13039/100008893, name: University of Iowa; DOI: 10.13039/501100001809, name: National Natural Science Foundation of China, award: 21677158, 21806171, 21621064; DOI: 10.13039/501100002367, name: Chinese Academy of Sciences, award: XDB14010400
Language: English
Date published: 09/10/2019
Academic Unit: Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health
Record Identifier: 9983997419602771

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