title: Presence and select determinants of organophosphate flame retardants in public swimming pools.
abstract: The occurrence of five organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) consisting of tributyl phosphate (TNBP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris(1.3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) in swimming pools were investigated. Fifteen chlorinated public swimming pools were sampled, including indoor pools, outdoor pools and spa pools. The analyses were carried out using isotope dilution gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. All five PFRs were detected in swimming pool waters with concentrations ranging from 5-27ng/L (TNBP), 7-293ng/L (TCEP), 62-1180ng/L (TCIPP), 10-670ng/L (TDCIPP) and 8-132ng/L (TPHP). The concentrations of PFRs were generally higher in indoor swimming pools compared to outdoor swimming pools. In municipal water supplies, used to fill the swimming pools in three of the sampling locations, the five PFRs were all below the limit of quantifications, eliminating this as the source. Potential leaching of PFRs from commonly used swimming equipment, including newly purchased kickboards and swimsuits was investigated. These experiments revealed that PFRs leached from swimsuits, and may be a source of PFRs in swimming pools. A quantitative risk assessment revealed that the health risk to PFRs via swimming pools was generally low and below commonly applied health risk benchmarks.
authors.affiliation: UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Kensington NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: tiffany.teo@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Tiffany L L
authors.initials: TLL
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology and Integrated BioEngineering Centre, School of Engineering, University of Ulster, Jordanstown, County Antrim BT37 0QB, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: h.coleman@ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.affiliation: UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Kensington NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: s.khan@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Stuart J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013551:Swimming Pools; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Chemical contaminants; Health risk assessment; Human exposure; Kickboards; Leaching; Swimsuits