Major
Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Anticipated Graduation Year
2021
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
The effects of microplastics on the degradation of three different types of flame retardants--2,4,4,-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (2,4,4-BDE), tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in aqueous environments when irradiated at 300 nm was investigated. The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The 2,4,4-BDE did not show any photoproducts formed, but the TBBPA and TCPBA did, thus suggesting the necessity of an acidic proton functional group for the initiation of degradation as 2,4,4-BDE does not have an acidic proton function group but both TBBPA and TCPBA have a hydroxyl group.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Paul Chiarelli, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Xiolmara Martinez, Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Plastic-Mediated Photolysis of Flame Retardants
The effects of microplastics on the degradation of three different types of flame retardants--2,4,4,-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (2,4,4-BDE), tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in aqueous environments when irradiated at 300 nm was investigated. The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The 2,4,4-BDE did not show any photoproducts formed, but the TBBPA and TCPBA did, thus suggesting the necessity of an acidic proton functional group for the initiation of degradation as 2,4,4-BDE does not have an acidic proton function group but both TBBPA and TCPBA have a hydroxyl group.