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

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).