Dechlorane Plus in the Global Atmosphere

Dechlorane plus (DP) is a high-production
volume chlorinated flame
retardant, which is under consideration for listing under the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. In this study, we provide
additional and timely information to help evaluate the spatial and
temporal trends and long-range transport potential of DP at 67 sampling
sites. The Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling network has been deploying
passive air samplers quarterly since 2005. A retrospective analysis
of samples from 2005 and 2006 indicates that DP is globally distributed
in air with total DP levels ranging from nondetect to 30 pg/m3. The median value at urban sites (∼0.9 pg/m3) was approximately 10 times greater than at background, rural, and
agricultural sites. The anti-DP/syn-DP ratio was relatively consistent
across most site categories and in the range of values measured in
commercial products containing DP. This suggests that both isomers
are about equally capable of long-range transport in air. A retrospective
analysis for selected sites covering the period of 2005–2011
showed declining levels of DP at urban sites in Paris and Toronto.