Evaluating Sources of Brominated Micropollutants within the Steel-Making Process

多溴联苯醚和溴化二恶英等溴化有机污染物对环境的影响日益受到关注。多溴二苯醚是溴化阻燃剂，广泛用作塑料材料的添加剂，用于防止电子产品、家具泡沫和织物等消费品以及工业材料的火灾。随着时间的推移，这些人造添加剂已经迁移到环境中，导致人类通过空气吸入、摄入室内灰尘和饮食摄入而暴露。由于越来越多的证据表明多溴联苯醚对人类健康具有潜在风险，欧盟已禁止多溴联苯醚的生产和新用途，因此此类接触令人关切。一段时间以来，人们也对溴化二恶英的毒性表示关切，认为这些二恶英是作为一系列热（主要是工业）过程的不完全燃烧产物排放的。世界其他地方最近的研究强调了钢铁制造过程中多溴二苯醚和溴化二恶英的排放潜力。因此，本项目的目标是评估这些研究结果是否适用于英国钢铁行业，如果适用，则评估其对环境和人类健康的影响。该项目将涉及一个广泛的空气和土壤监测计划内和周围的一个主要的英国综合钢铁厂。这些样本将由伯明翰大学和科鲁斯大学的学生进行分析。Corus的参与特别有价值，因为它提供了使用一种特别复杂的仪器的机会和培训，这种仪器对确定溴化二恶英至关重要，但伯明翰没有。除了可转移的研究技能的培训，学生将接受空气监测技术和多溴联苯醚分析在伯明翰，以及过程排放监测和分析溴化二恶英在哥鲁氏专业培训。此外，在Corus工作的时间将为学生提供非大学研究环境的宝贵经验。进一步的培训内容将通过对安特卫普大学为期2个月的学习访问提供。在这里，学生将受益于沉浸在英国以外的国际知名的学术研究环境中，并将获得相关的比利时样本，这些样本在分析时将有助于将英国数据置于国际环境中。总之，学生将学习环境研究领域正在快速增长，在一个高国际地位的研究小组，并从一个关键的最终用户大量的投入和支持。在此过程中，他们将获得实验设计和执行，分析和环境化学方面的特殊培训经验。

There is mounting concern over the environmental impact of brominated organic pollutants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and brominated dioxins. PBDEs are brominated flame-retardants that have been used extensively as additives in plastic materials for the prevention of fire in items such as consumer goods like electronics, furniture foams, and fabrics, as well as industrial materials. Over time, these man-made additives have migrated into the environment with resultant human exposure via air inhalation, ingestion of indoor dust, and dietary ingestion. Such exposures are of concern owing to the mounting evidence of potential human health risks for humans, which have led to bans on the manufacture and new use of PBDEs within the EU. Concerns have also been raised for some time about the toxicity of brominated dioxins, which are thought to be emitted as products of incomplete combustion from a range of thermal (largely industrial) processes. Recent research elsewhere in the world has highlighted the potential for the emission of PBDEs and brominated dioxins from steel making. The objectives of this project are thus to evaluate whether such findings are applicable to the UK steel industry, and if so, to assess the environmental and human health implications. The project will involve an extensive monitoring programme of air and soil within and around a major UK integrated steel works. The samples will be analysed by the student at the University of Birmingham and Corus. The involvement of Corus is especially valuable as it provides access to and training in the use of a particularly sophisticated instrument that is essential for the determination of brominated dioxins but is unavailable at Birmingham. In addition to training in transferable research skills, the student will receive specialist training in air monitoring techniques and analysis of PBDEs at Birmingham, as well as process emission monitoring and analysis of brominated dioxins at Corus. Furthermore, the time spent working at Corus will provide the student with invaluable experience of a non-University research environment. A further training element will be provided by a 2 month study visit to Antwerp University. Here, the student will benefit from immersion in an internationally-renowned academic research environment outside the UK, and will procure relevant Belgian samples which when analysed will help place UK data in an international context. In summary, the student will study an area of environmental research undergoing rapid growth, within a research group of high international standing, and with substantial input and support from a key end-user. In so doing, they will receive an exceptional training experience in experimental design and execution, analytical and environmental chemistry.