title: Levels and profile of several classes of organic contaminants in matched indoor dust and serum samples from occupational settings of Pakistan.
abstract: Dust ingestion is an important route of human exposure to organic contaminants, especially for flame retardants (FRs) in occupational settings. Several classes of organic contaminants were analyzed in matched dust and serum samples from academics and workers in electronics and clothing stores of Faisalabad, Pakistan. The concentrations of contaminants varied in dust as follow: organophosphate FRs (∑PFRs) > novel brominated FRs (∑NBFRs) > polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑PBDEs) > organochlorine pesticides (∑OCPs) > polychlorinated biphenyls (∑PCBs), while, in serum, concentration varied: ∑OCPs > bromophenols (∑BPs) > ∑PCBs > ∑HO-PCBs ≈ ∑PBDEs. Two NBFRs, namely 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)-ethane (BTBPE) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), were detected in <10% of the serum samples. p,p'-DDE was the major contaminant in serum contributing to ∼75% of the total contaminant burden. Levels of Penta-BDE congeners in serum and dust were significantly correlated (r = 0.64, p < 0.01) for the academics, suggesting dust ingestion as an important determinant for their serum levels.
authors: Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Nadeem
authors: N
authors: Ali
authors: Microbiology Division, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Toufeer
authors: T
authors: Mehdi
authors: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quiad-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Riffat N
authors: RN
authors: Malik
authors: Department of BioSciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors: Syed A M A S
authors: SAMAS
authors: Eqani
authors: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quiad-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Atif
authors: A
authors: Kamal
authors: Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors: Alin C
authors: AC
authors: Dirtu
authors: Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors: Hugo
authors: H
authors: Neels
authors: Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium. Electronic address: adrian.covaci@uantwerpen.be.
authors: Adrian
authors: A
authors: Covaci
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D010154:Pakistan; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010755:Organophosphates; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Dust; Occupational settings; Organic contaminants; Pakistan; Serum