Polyethylene Mediated Photolysis of Halogenated Flame Retardants in an Aqueous Environment

Plastic has become a ubiquitous threat to essentially every corner of the globe due to massive production rates, waste mismanagement, and the polymer’s resistance to degradation (1). Plastic pollution is known to cause numerous harmful ecological effects, such as the leaching or accumulation of toxic additives into wildlife. Such toxins may then rise through the food chain, where they are ultimately consumed by humans (2). These can include persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, and emerging contaminants, such as certain flame retardants, which are ubiquitous endocrine disruptors susceptible to photodegradation (3). The objective of this study is to investigate the polyethylene mediated photolysis of the flame retardants tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)