Degradation studies of halogenated flame retardants

Abstract

Despite the useful applications of halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), its growing ubiquity in the environment coupled by a number reports of its detrimental effects to the ecosystem and human health has raised concerns among environmental scientists and policymakers. The diversity of HFRs in terms of functional groups and structure has given rise to a number of remediation processes aimed to its removal in the environment. This chapter describes up-to-date information on various approaches for the successful elimination of HFRs in water and soil. Although both physical and biological processes have been proposed, these methods do not guarantee the complete destruction of HFRs. Moreover, issues in the toxicity of daughter products are yet to be resolved. Therefore, advanced oxidation processes and advanced reduction processes were developed to complement existing remediation strategies. This chapter aims to shed light on the different remediation techniques being used for HFRs removal and corresponding degradation pathways. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.