Dechlorane Plus: Projects: Hites Prize: Venier Lab: Indiana University

Dechlorane Plus

Dechlorane Plus (DP) is a highly chlorinated flame retardant (see Figure 1). It is a substitute for Dechlorane, which was also marketed under the name Mirex as a pesticide and was banned in 1970s. Although DP is a high production volume chemical and has been in use for decades, it was found in the environment for the first time in IADN samples.

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In fact, DP was detected in samples from all IADN sampling sites, with relatively high levels in samples from Sturgeon Point. This observation suggests that the manufacturing facility of DP, OxyChem in Niagara Falls, New York, might be the main source of DP to the Great Lakes.

Figure 1: Molecular structures of the two Dechlorane Plus stereoisomers.

Figure 2: Concentrations of syn-DP, anti-DP, and ΣDP in the atmospheric vapor phase, particle phase, and precipitation. The thin black lines represent the median, and the thick red lines represent the mean; the boxes represent the 25th and 75th percentiles; the whiskers represent the 5th and 95th percentiles. Site abbreviations: EH EagleHarbor, CH Chicago, SB Sleeping Bear Dunes, CL Cleveland, SP Sturgeon Point.

The analysis of the temporal trends of the anti-DP concentrations shows that the concentrations of this compound are increasing in the atmosphere with the doubling time of ~10 years.

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Dechlorane Plus

Dechlorane Plus

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