• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2015

PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ehters) are rarely dissolved in water due to their strong hydrophobicity and large molecular mass so not many researches were done in aqueous environment compared to other environmental compartments. However, the mass loading from wastewater treatment plant into aquatic environment, re-suspension from bottom sediment and partitioning from floating particles and colloids may not be negligible. It is, therefore, important but also difficult to investigate PBDEs in water environment. Recent overcoming resolution towards this barrier to monitor hydrophobic organic compounds in aquatic environment is using passive sampling technique like semipermeable membrane device. By using passive sampling, it might be possible to obtain long-term reproducible monitoring result and detect the trace amounts of PBDEs, with controlling fluctuation of surrounding environmental factors during the sampling event. So therefore, this study is purposed to confirm the possibility of using SPMD (semi-permeable membrane device) as water monitoring tool. Grab samples, composite samples and SPMDs were applied in river bank to evaluate the concentration difference and temporal fluctuation by various water sampling method, and to assess the water concentration prediction capability of SPMD for the PBDEs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.427-436
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• 2010

A total of 18 surface sediments within the special conservation zone in the Masan Bay were analyzed to investigate the spatial distribution and polluted pathway of polybrominated diphenyl ehters(PBDEs). Twenty-two PBDE congeners were detected and brominated diphenyl ether-209 (BDE-209) among them was predominant. The concentrations of BDE-209 and ${\Sigma}_{21}$PBDEs (sum of 21 PBDE congeners without BDE-209) ranged from 2.32 to 64.2 ng/g and from 0.72 to 8.24 ng/g, respectively. The spatial distribution of both BDE-209 and ${\Sigma}_{21}$PBDEs showed a negative gradient from the inner to the outer Bay, indicating that the source of PBDEs might be mainly located inside the Bay such as streams and an effluent of wastewater treatment plants. It was seemed likely that the major parameters determining levels of PBDEs in the Masan Bay were the distance discharging from their sources as well as the characteristics and movement of sediments due to the flow of sea water.