title: From Clothing to Laundry Water: Investigating the Fate of Phthalates, Brominated Flame Retardants, and Organophosphate Esters.
abstract: The accumulation of phthalate esters, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) by clothing from indoor air and transfer via laundering to outdoors were investigated. Over 30 days cotton and polyester fabrics accumulated 3475 and 1950 ng/dm(2) ∑5phthalates, 65 and 78 ng/dm(2) ∑10BFRs, and 1200 and 310 ng/dm(2) ∑8OPEs, respectively. Planar surface area concentrations of OPEs and low molecular weight phthalates were significantly greater in cotton than polyester and similar for BFRs and high molecular weight phthalates. This difference was significantly and inversely correlated with KOW, suggesting greater sorption of polar compounds to polar cotton. Chemical release from cotton and polyester to laundry water was >80% of aliphatic OPEs (log KOW < 4), < 50% of OPEs with an aromatic structure, 50-100% of low molecular weight phthalates (log KOW 4-6), and < detection-35% of higher molecular weight phthalates (log KOW > 8) and BFRs (log KOW > 6). These results support the hypothesis that clothing acts an efficient conveyer of soluble semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from indoors to outdoors through accumulation from air and then release during laundering. Clothes drying could as well contribute to the release of chemicals emitted by electric dryers. The results also have implications for dermal exposure.
authors: Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough , 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4 Canada.
authors: Amandeep
authors: A
authors: Saini
authors: Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1 Canada.
authors: Clara
authors: C
authors: Thaysen
authors: Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1 Canada.|Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 6248 Eighth Line, Egbert, Ontario L0L 1N0 Canada.
authors: Liisa
authors: L
authors: Jantunen
authors: Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2N1 Canada.
authors: Rachel H
authors: RH
authors: McQueen
authors: Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough , 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4 Canada.|Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1 Canada.
authors: Miriam L
authors: ML
authors: Diamond
mesh_terms: D003020:Clothing; D004952:Esters; D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates; D014867:Water