Environmental Risks of Thermal Insulation Manufacturing under Global Decarbonization: A Case Study of Organophosphate Esters Using Targeted and Nontargeted Analyses

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 × 103 ng/L) and sediment (26.7–2.44 × 103 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 × 103 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.