Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in indoor dust and human hair

Yuan Kang, Hong Sheng Wang, Kwai Chung Cheung, Ming Hung Wong*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

125 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the present study, settled workplace dust (n=55) from commercial offices, secondary schools, shopping malls, hospitals, electronic factories and manufacturing plants in Hong Kong and settled home dust (n=23) from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, around the Pearl River Delta were collected. Chemical analyses showed that the total PBDEs in workplace dust ranged from 397 to 40,236ngg-1, with the dust samples from electronic factories having the highest levels (2122-40,236ngg-1), and dust from homes ranging from 685 to 18,385ngg-1. The most abundant BDE congeners found were BDE-209 in both workplace dust and home dust, followed by BDE-99 and BDE-47. No significant correlations were observed between total PBDE concentrations in home dust and the age or the house (p>0.05), concentrations of BDE-99+BDE-47 and the number of furniture containing foam (p>0.05), and concentrations of BDE-209 and the number of electronic appliances (p>0.05). BDE-47, -99, -100 and -183 were found in most of the hair samples collected from occupants of these homes with BDE-47 being the dominant congener (0.86-5.24ngg-1). The BDE-183 concentration in home dust was significantly correlated with that in human hair (r=0.55, p<0.05, n=18). Risk assessment indicated that daily intake of PBDEs for children via non-dietary ingestion of dust (101-404ngday-1) was higher than that via food consumption (77-190ngday-1).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2386-2393
Number of pages8
JournalAtmospheric Environment
Volume45
Issue number14
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2011

Scopus Subject Areas

  • General Environmental Science
  • Atmospheric Science

User-Defined Keywords

  • Dust
  • Hair
  • PBDEs
  • Pearl River Delta

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