title: Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in central air-conditioner filter dust and relevance of non-dietary exposure in occupational indoor environments in Greece.
abstract: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) are ubiquitous in the indoor environment owing to their use in consumer products and various studies around the world have found higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. Central air conditioner (A/C) systems have been widely used in many workplaces, therefore, studying of PBDEs in central A/C filter dust is useful to better understand the occurrences and health implications of PBDEs in indoor environments. The present study examined the occurrence of PBDEs in central A/C filter dust collected from various workplaces (n = 20) in Thessaloniki, Greece. The sum concentrations of 21 target congeners (∑21PBDE) in A/C dust ranged between 84 and 4062 ng g(-1) with a median value of 1092 ng g(-1), while BDE-209 was found to be the most abundant BDE congener. The daily intake via dust ingestion of PBDEs estimated for the employees of the occupational settings ranged from 3 to 45 ng day(-1) (median 12 ng day(-1)).
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Besis
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Air Research NILU, High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment (FRAM Centre), NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsoyiannis
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Elisavet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Botsaropoulou
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: csamara@chem.auth.gr.
authors.forename: Constantini
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Samara
mesh_terms: D000389:Air Conditioning; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006115:Greece; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; C010902:decabromobiphenyl ether
keywords: Central air conditioner filter; Greece; Human exposure; Indoor dust; Intake; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs); Workplaces