Brominated flame retardants in road dust and green belt soil from Harbin, China: Contamination characteristics, sources and health risks

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), categorized as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are difficult to degrade, exhibiting reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity. Exposure to dust and soil particles containing BFRs may cause various health problems. The research aimed to assess the concentrations, potential origins, and health risks associated with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and novel BFRs (NBFRs) in road dust and green belt soil in Harbin. The study revealed that ΣPBDE concentrations ranging from 0.15 to 193.75 ng/g (median: 48.01 ng/g) in road dust and 8.07 to 195.33 ng/g (median: 38.19 ng/g) in green belt soil. Notably, TBBPA contributed the most to the ΣPBDEs concentrations. And the concentrations of ΣNBFRs ranged from 2.34 to 130.53 ng/g (median: 18.48 ng/g) in road dust and 2.50 to 46.70 ng/g (median: 7.85 ng/g) in green belt soil. And tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) was the most dominant compound in both samples. Highways exhibited lower ΣPBDE concentrations in dust samples but higher ΣNBFR concentrations in soil samples compared to other roads. Moreover, most of the BFRs had a positive correlation with each other, suggesting that they may have similar sources. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested BFRs sources in road dust may come from wire, paint, building materials or commercial products, likewise, BFRs in green belt soil may come from household or industrial products. Health risk assessment indicated that BFRs in both types of samples in Harbin had no non-carcinogenic risk to residents. These findings provide valuable insights into understanding BFR pollution characteristics, identifying specific sources, and recognizing health hazards in dust and soil samples on roads from Harbin.