title: Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in indoor and outdoor air in the Rhine/Main area, Germany: comparison of concentrations and distribution profiles in different microenvironments.
abstract: The concentrations of 9 organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were determined in 56 indoor and 9 outdoor air samples in the Rhine/Main area in Germany. The indoor samples were collected from seven different indoor microenvironments including private cars, private homes, floor/carpet stores, building material markets, schools, offices, and day care centers, while outdoor samples were simultaneously collected close to the indoor sampling locations. The total OPFR concentrations (∑OPFRs) in indoor air ranged from 3.30 to 751.0 ng/m3with a median of 40.23 ng/m3, which was approximately eight times higher than those in outdoor air (median 5.38 ng/m3), indicating that sources of OPFRs predominate in the indoor environment. Tris(2-chloroisopropyl)phosphate (TCPP), tris(isobutyl)phosphate (TiBP), and tributyl phosphate (TnBP) were the dominating compounds both in indoor and outdoor air. The median concentration of ∑OPFRs in private cars (180.3 ng/m3) was significantly higher than that in private homes (12.51 ng/m3), schools (36.23 ng/m3), day care centers (31.80 ng/m3), and building material markets (31.17 ng/m3) (p < 0.05). Distribution profiles of OPFRs varied among different indoor microenvironments, which are evidenced by dominating indoor air concentrations of non-Cl-OPFRs in day care centers, floor/carpet stores, schools, and of Cl-OPFRs in other indoor microenvironments. Multivariate analyses revealed three distinct groups for OPFRs, i.e., TiBP/TnBP, TEP/TCEP/TDCPP, and TCPP, whose concentrations were closely associated with the distribution profiles and pollution characteristics of materials predominating in different indoor microenvironments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, J. W. Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Lingli
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, J. W. Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiltscher
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, J. W. Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, J. W. Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Puettmann@iau.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Püttmann
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D004391:Dust; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D005858:Germany; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004391:Dust; D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates
keywords: Distribution profile; Indoor air; Microenvironment; Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs); Outdoor air; Source appointment