Indoor contamination with hexabromocyclododecanes, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and perfluoroalkyl compounds: an important exposure pathway for people?
This review underlines the importance of indoor contamination as a pathway of human exposure to hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs). There is ample evidence of substantial contamination of indoor dust with these chemicals and that their concentrations in indoor air exceed substantially those outdoors. Studies examining the relationship between body burden and exposure via indoor dust are inconsistent; while some indicate a link between body burdens and PBDE and HBCD exposure via dust ingestion, others find no correlation. Likewise, while concentrations in indoor dust and human tissues are both highly skewed, this does not necessarily imply causality. Evidence suggests exposure via dust ingestion is higher for toddlers than adults. Research priorities include identifying means of reducing indoor concentrations and indoor monitoring methods that provide the most "biologically-relevant" measures of exposure as well as monitoring a wider range of microenvironment categories. Other gaps include studies to improve understanding of the following: emission rates and mechanisms via which these contaminants migrate from products into indoor air and dust; relationships between indoor exposures and human body burdens; relevant physicochemical properties; the gastrointestinal uptake by humans of these chemicals from indoor dust; and human dust ingestion rates.
Harrad
Stuart
S
Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. S.J.Harrad@bham.ac.uk
de Wit
Cynthia A
CA
Abdallah
Mohamed Abou-Elwafa
MA
Bergh
Caroline
C
Björklund
Justina A
JA
Covaci
Adrian
A
Darnerud
Per Ola
PO
de Boer
Jacob
J
Diamond
Miriam
M
Huber
Sandra
S
Leonards
Pim
P
Mandalakis
Manolis
M
Ostman
Conny
C
Haug
Line Småstuen
LS
Thomsen
Cathrine
C
Webster
Thomas F
TF
D000388:Air; D000393:Air Pollutants; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D001822:Body Burden; D017605:Bromine Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D004391:Dust; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D017611:Fluorine Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000633:toxicity*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure
D000393:Air Pollutants; D017605:Bromine Compounds; D004391:Dust; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D017611:Fluorine Compounds; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; C089796:hexabromocyclododecane