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Abiotic degradation of the brominated polymeric flame retardant “Polymeric FR” and ecotoxicity of generated decomposition products
Flame retardants are often incorporated in products such as electronical equipment, textiles, or thermal insulation to meet national fire safety requirements. For several years, hexabromocyclododecane has been the flame retardant of choice for building foam insulation until it was recently phased out due to a variety of environmental concerns. Thus, a new flame retardant was needed. Since 2014, “Polymeric FR” is used as a substitute on an industrial basis. The developer claims that its polymeric structure, persistence by design, and high molecular weight lead to a superior environmental profile. The present thesis deals with the abiotic degradation of “Polymeric FR” and the ecotoxicity of potentially resulting monomeric decomposition products. The degradation is studied following exposure to UV radiation and heat at 60 °C. Both factors cause “Polymeric FR” to degrade, which is shown by multiple analytical methods, including among others, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, determination of total organic carbon, and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The latter method was used to identify monomeric degradation products that could possibly pose a different toxic potential to the environment compared to the parent polymer. To assess their toxic potential, four chemicals were chosen based on their commercial availability and evaluated in three standardized tests with green algae and crustaceans. The test repertoire was accompanied by a trend analysis regarding the theoretical effect on fish to cover an additional tropic level. The results show that “Polymeric FR” can degrade following UV irradiation and exposure to heat. While the environmental relevance of UV irradiation seems limited as long as this polymer is only used in building foam insulation, exposure to heat is a commonly encountered factor. However, significant degradation seems only possible under certain circumstances. The chance for these circumstances to occur, the presences of water and prolonged heat, is highest during the end-of-life ...
Abiotic degradation of the brominated polymeric flame retardant “Polymeric FR” and ecotoxicity of generated decomposition products
Flame retardants are often incorporated in products such as electronical equipment, textiles, or thermal insulation to meet national fire safety requirements. For several years, hexabromocyclododecane has been the flame retardant of choice for building foam insulation until it was recently phased out due to a variety of environmental concerns. Thus, a new flame retardant was needed. Since 2014, “Polymeric FR” is used as a substitute on an industrial basis. The developer claims that its polymeric structure, persistence by design, and high molecular weight lead to a superior environmental profile. The present thesis deals with the abiotic degradation of “Polymeric FR” and the ecotoxicity of potentially resulting monomeric decomposition products. The degradation is studied following exposure to UV radiation and heat at 60 °C. Both factors cause “Polymeric FR” to degrade, which is shown by multiple analytical methods, including among others, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, determination of total organic carbon, and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The latter method was used to identify monomeric degradation products that could possibly pose a different toxic potential to the environment compared to the parent polymer. To assess their toxic potential, four chemicals were chosen based on their commercial availability and evaluated in three standardized tests with green algae and crustaceans. The test repertoire was accompanied by a trend analysis regarding the theoretical effect on fish to cover an additional tropic level. The results show that “Polymeric FR” can degrade following UV irradiation and exposure to heat. While the environmental relevance of UV irradiation seems limited as long as this polymer is only used in building foam insulation, exposure to heat is a commonly encountered factor. However, significant degradation seems only possible under certain circumstances. The chance for these circumstances to occur, the presences of water and prolonged heat, is highest during the end-of-life ...
Abiotic degradation of the brominated polymeric flame retardant “Polymeric FR” and ecotoxicity of generated decomposition products
Koch, Christoph (author) / Sures, Bernd
2019-04-15
Theses
Electronic Resource
English
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