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Monohydroxylated Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (OH-PBDEs) and Dihydroxylated Polybrominated Biphenyls (di-OH-PBBs): Novel Photoproducts of 2,6-Dibromophenol
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Monohydroxylated Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (OH-PBDEs) and Dihydroxylated Polybrominated Biphenyls (di-OH-PBBs): Novel Photoproducts of 2,6-Dibromophenol

Hongxia Zhao, Jingqiu Jiang, Yanli Wang, Hans-Joachim Lehmler, Garry R Buettner, Xie Quan and Jingwen Chen
Environmental science & technology, Vol.49(24), pp.14120-14128
12/15/2015
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03637
PMCID: PMC4717839
PMID: 26545041

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Abstract

Hydroxylated polybromodiphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs) are emerging aquatic pollutants, but their origins in the environment are not fully understood. There is evidence that OH-PBDEs are formed from bromophenols, but the underlying transformation processes remain unknown. Here we investigate if the photoformation of OH-PBDEs from 2,6-dibromophenol in aqueous solution involves 2,6-bromophenoxyl radicals. After UV irradiation of an aqueous 2,6-dibromophenol solution, HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS and GC/MS analysis revealed the formation of a OH-PBDE and a dihydroxylated polybrominated biphenyl (di-OH-PBB). Both dimeric photoproducts were tentatively identified as 4′-OH-BDE73 and 4,4′-di-OH-PBB80. In addition, three debromination products (4-OH-BDE34, 4′-OH-BDE27, and 4,4′-di-OH-PBBs) were observed. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the presence of a 2,6-dibromophenoxyl radical with a six-line spectrum (a H (2 meta) = 3.45 G, a H (1 para) = 1.04 G, g = 2.0046) during irradiation of a 2,6-dibromophenol solution in water. The 2,6-dibromophenoxyl radical had a relatively long half-life (122 ± 5 μs) according to laser flash photolysis experiments. The para-para C-C and O- para -C couplings of these 2,6-dibromophenoxyl radicals are consistent with the observed formation of both dimeric OH-PBDE and di-OH-PBB photoproducts. These findings show that bromophenoxyl radical-mediated phototransformation of bromophenols is a source of OH-PBDEs and di-OH-PBBs in aqueous environments that requires further attention.
hydroxylated polybromodiphenyl ether brominated phenoxyl radicals electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) photochemical process bromophenols Synthesis Core

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