Presentation Title
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.