Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in PM2.5, PM10, TSP and gas phase in office environment in Shanghai, China: occurrence and human exposure

• Published in: PloS one 2015-03, Vol.10 (3), p.e0119144-e0119144
• Main Authors: Li, Yue, Chen, Ling, Ngoc, Duong Minh, Duan, Yan-Ping, Lu, Zhi-Bo, Wen, Zhi-Hao, Meng, Xiang-Zhou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerodynamics; Air Pollutants - chemistry; Air Pollution, Indoor; Air samples; Air sampling; Airborne particulates; Atmosphere; China; Electronic waste; Engineering; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Ethers; Exposure; Fish; Flame retardants; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - chemistry; Inhalation; Laboratories; Lungs; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - chemistry; Particulates; PCB; Phase matching; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Real estate sales; Respiration; Respiratory system; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk levels; Studies; Urban areas; Ventilation; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119144

To evaluate risk via inhalation exposure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in office environment, thirty-six pairs air samples including PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm), total suspended particles (TSP) with matching gas phase were collected in office environment in Shanghai, China. The average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and TSP were 20.4, 27.2 and 50.3 μg/m3, respectively. Σ15PBDEs mean concentrations in PM2.5, PM10, TSP and gas phase were 51.8, 110.7, 148 and 59.6 pg/m3, respectively. Much more PBDEs distributed in fine fractions than coarse ones. PBDEs congener profiles found in PM2.5, PM10 and TSP (dominated by BDE-209) were different from that in gas phase (dominated by the tri- to penta-BDEs). Approximately 3.20 pg/kg/d PM2.5 bound PBDEs can be inhaled into the lung; 3.62 pg/kg/d PM10-PM2.5(particles with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5-10 μm) bound PBDEs tended to be deposited in the upper part of respiratory system, and the intake of PBDEs via gas-phase was 2.74 pg/kg/d. The exposure of PBDEs was far below the minimal risk levels (MRLs), indicating lower risk from PBDEs via inhalation in the studied office in Shanghai.