title: Flame retardants and organochlorines in indoor dust from several e-waste recycling sites in South China: composition variations and implications for human exposure.
abstract: Several classes of flame retardants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), dechlorane plus (DPs), and organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs), together with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in indoor dust from five villages located in three e-waste recycling regions in Guangdong Province, South China. The medians of PBDEs, NBFRs, and PFRs in dust in five sites ranged from 685-67,500, 1460-50,010, and 2180-29,000ng/g, respectively. These concentrations were much higher than the medians of PCBs (52-2900ng/g). BDE 209 and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) were the two major halogen flame retardants in dust, while tris-(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) were the major PFRs. Principle component analysis revealed the different pollutant patterns among different sites. The estimated median human exposures of PBDEs, NBFRs, PFRs, and PCBs via dust ingestion were 1.1-24.1, 0.73-20.3, 1.36-23.5, and 0.04-0.93ng/kgbw/day for adults, and 16.2-352, 10.7-296, 19.9-343, 0.05-0.61, 0.65-13.6ng/kgbw/day for toddlers, respectively. Residents from Site 5 had the highest exposure (95 percentile levels and high dust ingestion for toddlers) of PBDEs (3920ng/kgbw/day), NBFRs (3200ng/kgbw/day), and PFRs (5280ng/kgbw/day). More attention should be paid to the contamination with NBFRs and PFRs, instead of PCBs, in these e-waste recycling regions, and local public health threat from PBDE alternatives should remain of concern. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on human exposure assessment of PFRs at e-waste sites.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China; Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiaobo
authors: X
authors: Zheng
authors: Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors: Fuchao
authors: F
authors: Xu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China.
authors: Kehui
authors: K
authors: Chen
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yanhong
authors: Y
authors: Zeng
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: luoxiaoj@gig.ac.cn.
authors: Xiaojun
authors: X
authors: Luo
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China.
authors: Shejun
authors: S
authors: Chen
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China.
authors: Bixian
authors: B
authors: Mai
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: D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D059027:Recycling
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D005411:Flame Retardants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
keywords: Electronic-waste recycling; Flame retardants; Human exposure; Indoor dust