Organophosphate flame retardants in dust collected from United States fire stations. (March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shen, Beverly; Whitehead, Todd P.; Gill, Ranjit; Dhaliwal, Joginder; Brown, F. Reber; Petreas, Myrto; Patton, Sharyle; Hammond, S. Katharine
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 112(2018)
• Page Start: 41
• Page End: 48
• Publication Date: 2018-03
• Subjects: Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.12.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Abstract: Firefighters are exposed to chemicals during fire events and we previously demonstrated that fire station dust has high levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In conducting the Fire Station Dust Study, we sought to further characterize the chemicals to which firefighters could be exposed – measuring the emerging class of phosphorous-containing flame retardants (PFRs) in fire stations, for the first time, as well as PBDEs. Dust samples from 26 fire stations in five states were collected from vacuum-cleaner bags and analyzed for PFRs and PBDEs. PFR concentrations were found to be on the same order of magnitude as PBDE concentrations (maximum PFR: 218, 000 ng/g; maximum PBDE: 351, 000 ng/g). Median concentrations of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP), tris (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), and tris(1, 3-dichloroisopropyl)phosphate (TDCIPP) in dust from fire stations were higher than those previously reported in homes and other occupational settings around the world. Total PFR levels did not vary significantly among states. Levels of TDCIPP were higher in stations where vacuum cleaners were used to clean surfaces other than the floor. PBDE levels were comparable to those found in our previous study of 20 California fire stations and much higher than levels in California residences. PFR and PBDE levels in fire station dust are higher than in other occupational and residential settings, underscoring the need to identify and control sources of this contamination. Highlights: U.S. fire stations have higher contamination of PFRs and PBDEs than other occupational settings and private residences CA fire stations have elevated levels of the higher brominated PBDEs than fire stations from MN, NH, NY, and TX Levels of TDCIPP were higher in stations where vacuum cleaners were used to clean surfaces other than the floor