title: Indoor contamination with hexabromocyclododecanes, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and perfluoroalkyl compounds: an important exposure pathway for people?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrad
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: Mohamed Abou-Elwafa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bergh
authors.forename: Justina A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Björklund
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covaci
authors.forename: Per Ola
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Darnerud
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diamond
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Pim
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leonards
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandalakis
authors.forename: Conny
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ostman
authors.forename: Line Småstuen
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: Cathrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D017605:Bromine Compounds; D004391:Dust; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D017611:Fluorine Compounds; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; C089796:hexabromocyclododecane