Environmental Risks of Thermal Insulation Manufacturing under Global Decarbonization: A Case Study of Organophosphate Esters Using Targeted and Nontargeted Analyses
Ruiqi An, Jingsheng Wang, Lingzhi Cao, Xuhui Yue, Shuping Zheng, Yanbin Zhao, Jiayin Dai, Kun Zhang
Abstract
Thermal insulation material manufacturing has rapidly expanded worldwide as a key strategy to improve energy efficiency, in line with global “dual-carbon” goals. However, the potential environmental risks associated with this industry remain underexplored. Here, we use organophosphate esters (OPEs), commonly applied as flame retardants in thermal insulation materials, as a case example to reveal the overlooked risks of their environmental release. Using a combination of targeted LC-MS/MS and HRMS-based nontargeted analyses, we investigated OPE contamination in aquatic environments near a major thermal insulation manufacturing hub in northern China. A total of 25 targeted OPEs were quantified, and 26 additional novel organophosphorus compounds (OPCs) were identified, including 13 first reported in the environment. OPE concentrations in water (155–4.67 × 10 3 ng/L) and sediment (26.7–2.44 × 10 3 ng/g) were comparable to or exceeded those in known OPE hotspots such as e-waste and plastic recycling sites. The newly identified OPCs comprised alkyl, chlorinated, aryl, phosphine oxide, and thiophosphate derivatives, with detection frequencies ranging from 7.69 to 100% and semiquantified concentrations in water up to 4.28 × 10 3 ng/L. These findings reveal that thermal insulation manufacturing is an important yet previously unrecognized source of OPE emissions, which broadens the scope of environmental monitoring during global energy transition efforts.