Grain size distribution and exposure evaluation of organophosphorus and brominated flame retardants in indoor and outdoor dust and PM10 from Chengdu, China

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2019-03, Vol.365, p.280-288
• Main Authors: Chen, Mengqin, Jiang, Jingyan, Gan, Zhiwei, Yan, Yan, Ding, Sanglan, Su, Shijun, Bao, Xiaoming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brominated flame retardants; Dust; Occupational exposure; Organophosphorus flame retardants; PM10
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.10.082

•∑OPFRs, ∑PBDEs, and ∑NBFRs levels of the indoor dust were higher than outdoor dust.•Cl-OPFRs and Alkyl-OPFRs were the predominant constituents in PM10 from the electronic shops and furniture factory.•Significant correlations were observed for the most OPFRs in the PM10 from the kitchen, living room, and personal air.•Inhalation and ingestion were the main exposure pathways, and dermal contact could be negligible.•Exposure to FRs via dust intake posed a very low risk for the Chengdu residents. To investigate overall pollution and potential risk of 32 targets (11 PBDEs, 8 NBFRs, and 13 OPFRs) in indoor and outdoor environments, dust and PM10 samples were sampled from non-occupational and occupational zones in Chengdu, China. ∑Cl-OPFRs, BDE-209, and DBDPE were the dominant constitutes in both the non-occupational and occupational dust. Regarding the PM10, no significant differences were found between the kitchen and the living room for studied OPFRs except TDCIPP, and TCEP, TCPP, TEHP, and TCP displayed significant correlation among the kitchen, the living room and personal samples. Profiles of the OPFRs in the PM10 from occupational areas presented great variation and ranked as: ∑Aryl-OPFRs < ∑Alkyl-OPFRs < ∑Cl-OPFRs. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of the investigated FRs via dust suggested dust ingestion and inhalation were the main exposure route to FRs, and the total of EDIs were at least one order of magnitude lower than reference data, indicating a low risk for the general public in Chengdu. However, with increasing usage of FRs in daily goods, a long-term monitoring should be conducted.