Tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecane in sediments from the Zhujiang (Pearl) River Estuary and South China Sea

Marine sediments collected from the Zhujiang (Pearl) River Estuary (ZRE) and South China Sea (SCS) were utilized to study the occurrence and spatial distribution of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD). The levels of TBBPA and HBCDD in sediments ranged from not detected (nd) to 6.14 ng/g dry weight (dw) and nd to 0.42 ng/g dw. TBBPA concentrations in marine sediments were substantially higher than HBCDD. The concentrations of TBBPA and HBCDD in the ZRE sediments were significantly greater than those in the SCS. α-HBCDD (48.7%) and γ-HBCDD (46.2%) were the two main diastereoisomers of HBCDD in sediments from the ZRE, with minor contribution of β-HBCDD (5.1%). HBCDD were only found in one sample from the northern SCS. The enantiomeric fraction of α-HBCDD in sediments from the ZRE was obviously greater than 0.5, indicating an accumulation of (+)-α-HBCDD. The enantiomers of HBCDD were not measured in sediments from the SCS. This work highlighted the environmental behaviors of TBBPA and HBCDD in marine sediments.