Relationships between estimated flame retardant emissions and levels in indoor air and house dust.
A significant number of consumer goods and building materials can act as emission sources of flame retardants (FRs) in the indoor environment. We investigate the relationship between the emission source strength and the levels of 19 brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and seven organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in air and dust collected in 38 indoor microenvironments in Norway. We use modeling methods to back-calculate emission rates from indoor air and dust measurements and identify possible indications of an emission-to-dust pathway. Experimentally based emission estimates provide a satisfactory indication of the relative emission strength of indoor sources. Modeling results indicate an up to two orders of magnitude enhanced emission strength for OPFRs (median emission rates of 0.083 and 0.41 μg h-1for air-based and dust-based estimates) compared to BFRs (0.52 and 0.37 ng h-1median emission rates). A consistent emission-to-dust signal, defined as higher dust-based than air-based emission estimates, was identified for four of the seven OPFRs, but only for one of the 19 BFRs. It is concluded, however, that uncertainty in model input parameters could potentially lead to the false identification of an emission-to-dust signal.
Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Liagkouridis
Department of Exposure and Risk Assessment, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway.
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Cequier
Environmental Risk and Health Unit, VITO, Mol, Belgium.
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Lazarov
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Palm Cousins
Department of Exposure and Risk Assessment, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway.
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Thomsen
Environmental Risk and Health Unit, VITO, Mol, Belgium.
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Stranger
Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Cousins
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009664:Norway; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis
D004391:Dust; D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates
brominated flame retardants; emission-to-dust; house dust; indoor emissions; modeling; organophosphate flame retardants