title: Organophosphate esters in dust samples collected from Danish homes and daycare centers.
abstract: Organophosphates are used in a wide range of materials and consumer products and are ubiquitous in indoor environments. Certain organophosphates have been associated with various adverse health effects. The present paper reports mass fractions of organophosphates in dust samples collected from 500 bedrooms and 151 daycare centers of children living in Odense, Denmark. The identified compounds include: tris(isobutyl) phosphate (TIBP), tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), triphenylphosphate (TPHP), 2-ethylhexyl-diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP), tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) and tris(methylphenyl) phosphate (TMPP). Both the number of organophosphates with median values above the limit of detection and the median values were higher for samples from daycare centers than for samples from homes. Organophosphates with median mass fractions above the limit of detection were: TCEP from homes (6.9 μg g(-1)), and TCEP (16 μg g(-1)), TCIPP (5.6 μg g(-1)), TDCIPP (7.1 μg g(-1)), TBOEP (26 μg g(-1)), TPHP (2.0 μg g(-1)) and EHDPP (2.1 μg g(-1)) from daycare centers. When present, TBOEP was typically the most abundant of the identified OPs. The sum of the organophosphate dust mass fractions measured in this study was roughly in the mid-range of summed mass fractions reported for dust samples collected in other countries. On a global scale, the geographical distribution of organophosphates in indoor dust is quite variable, with higher concentrations in industrialized countries. This trend differs from that for phthalate esters, whose geographic distribution is more homogeneous. Exposure to organophosphates via dust ingestion is relatively low, although there is considerable uncertainly in this assessment.
authors.affiliation: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Ltd., P.O. Box 53021, SE-400 14 Göteborg, Sweden. Electronic address: sarka.langer@ivl.se.
authors.forename: Sarka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.affiliation: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Ltd., P.O. Box 53021, SE-400 14 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredricsson
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States.
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Weschler
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bekö
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 414, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strandberg
authors.affiliation: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Ltd., P.O. Box 210 60, SE-100 31 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remberger
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toftum
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Geo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clausen
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003718:Denmark; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis*; D012574:Schools
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D004952:Esters; D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates
keywords: Exposure; Flame retardants; Indoor environment; Plasticizers; SVOC