American Chemical Society, Environmental Science and Technology, 11(48), p. 6124-6132, 2014
DOI: 10.1021/es5007109
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Bromophenols produced by marine algae undergo O-methylation to form bromoanisoles (BAs), which are exchanged between water and air. BAs were determined in surface water of northern Baltic Sea (Gulf of Bothnia: Bothnian Bay and Bothnian Sea) during 2011-2013 and on a transect of the entire Baltic in September 2013. The abundance was 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (2,4,6-TBA) > 2,4-dibromoanisole (2,4-DBA) > 2,6-dibromoanisole (2,6-DBA). Concentrations of 2,4-DBA and 2,4,6-TBA in September were higher in the southern versus the northern Baltic and correlated well with the higher salinity in the south. This suggests south-to-north advection and dilution with fresh riverine water enroute, and/or lower production in the north. The abundance in air over the northern Baltic was also 2,4,6-TBA > 2,4-DBA, but 2,6-DBA was estimated as a lower limit due to breakthrough from polyurethane foam traps used for sampling. Water/air fugacity ratios ranged from 3.4 to 7.6 for 2,4-DBA and 18 to 94 for 2,4,6-TBA, indicating net volatilization. Flux estimates using the two-film model suggested that volatilization removes 980 to 1360 kg of total BAs from Bothnian Bay (38 000 km2) between May and September. Release of bromine from outgassing of BAs could be up to 4-6% of bromine fluxes from previously reported volatilization of bromo- and bromochloromethanes.