Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol.371, 449-455, 2019
Identification and evaluation of chlorinated nonane paraffins in the environment: A persistent organic pollutant candidate for the Stockholm Convention?
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), with 10-13 carbon atoms, are persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention because they are persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulative. However, little information is available on CPs with < 10 carbon atoms. C-9-CPs were identified and quantified in environmental matrices in this study. The occurrences and sources of C-9-CPs in environmental samples were investigated by determining C-9-CPs in technical CP products and environmental matrices, including indoor air and sediment, by GC x GC-ECNI-TOFMS. Quantitative structure-property relationship modeling revealed C-9-CPs have high octanol-water partition coefficients (log Kow 5.99), octanol-air partition coefficients (log Koa 7.24), and bioaccumulation factors (log BAF 4.07), indicating C-9-CPs are semivolatile and could bioaccumulate. C-9-CPs were detected in different fish (at 3.4-153 ng/g dw), confirming they can bioaccumulate. C-9-CPs were found in soil (at 3.0-25.6 ng/g dw) and biota (at 7.5-57.8 ng/g dw) from the Antarctic, demonstrating they can undergo long-range transport and are global pollutants. This is the first comprehensive study reporting the sources, occurrences, and fates of C-9-CPs in the environment, laying foundations for further evaluation of C-9-CPs and their inclusion as candidate persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention.