Pine needles as passive bio-samplers to determine polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology
• Biomonitoring

Background:

• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent organic pollutants with potential ecological impacts.
• Biomonitoring using plant matrices offers a cost-effective approach to assess environmental contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the suitability of pine needles (Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinea, Pinus nigra) as a matrix for biomonitoring airborne PBDEs.
• To determine PBDE levels and patterns in pine needles from Northeastern Spain.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasonic extraction of PBDEs from pine needles.
• Alumina and Florisil column chromatography for sample clean-up.
• Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with negative chemical ionization for PBDE determination.

Main Results:

• High recoveries (99-138%) and low detection limits were achieved for PBDE analysis.
• PBDE concentrations in pine needles ranged from 0.027 to 13.04 ng g(-1)-dw, with BDE 209 and BDE 47 being predominant.
• Pinus halepensis showed higher PBDE levels compared to Pinus nigra, correlating with distribution patterns.

Conclusions:

• Pine needles are a viable passive bio-sampler for monitoring airborne PBDEs.
• The study demonstrates the potential of pine needles for assessing atmospheric PBDE contamination in environmental monitoring programs.