Analyses of known and new types of polyhalogenated aromatic substances in oven ash from recycled aluminium production

Abstract Persistent aromatic bromine, chlorine and mixed chlorine-bromine compounds were analysed from recycled aluminium smelter (ALS) ashes to explore the impact of brominated flame retardants (BFR) on their formation. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) were the most abundant original BFRs found. Induction furnace ash contained tetra- to octa-BDEs about 2000 ng g −1 in similar congener ratios as the original scrap, but contents of nona- and deca-BDEs were only 25 and 5 ng g −1 indicating their significant degradation in ALS process. In the most non-polar fraction, PCB levels and profiles were similar as earlier ALS ash samples in 1990s. The highest PCB level measured was that of deca-C…