Airborne phthalates in indoor environment: Partition state and influential built environmental conditions. (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huang, Lihui; Qiao, Yaqi; Deng, Shunxi; Zhou, Meimei; Zhao, Weiping; Yue, Yang
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 254(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: Indoor air quality -- Phthalates -- DEHP -- DiBP -- DnBP; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126782
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: Exposure to phthalates has recently become a major public health concern. The information of indoor airborne phthalates and their air-particle partition in real indoor environmental condition is still limited. In this study, the gas- and PM2.5 -concentrations of 7 phthalates in 40 residences were concurrently measured in summer and winter. The major phthalates (median concentration in the summer and winter, respectively) in indoor air were DMP (2442.3 and 2403.4 ng/m 3 ), D i BP (801.0 and 640.0 ng/m 3 ) and D n BP (5173.2 and 1379.6 ng/m 3 ), whereas the major phthalates in PM2.5 were D i BP (1055.1 and 585.9 ng/m 3 ) and D n BP (1658.5 and 1517.0 ng/m 3 ) and DEHP (215.1 and 344.9 ng/m 3 ). Air-PM2.5 partition coefficients ( K p ) of D i BP, D n BP and DEHP were calculated: the summer and winter median values (m 3 /μg) were 0.053 and 0.011 for D i BP, 0.010 and 0.004 for D n BP, 0.021 and 0.025 for DEHP, respectively. Air-PM2.5 partition of D i BP and D n BP approached equilibrium, while that of DEHP did not reach equilibrium in either season. The impacts of built environmental conditions on phthalate concentrations were characterized. Elevated temperature resulted in accumulation of airborne phthalates. Higher air humidity led to more water absorption of aerosols in summer, facilitated mass transfer of phthalates from air to PM2.5, and resulted in greater K p of D i BP and D n BP in the summer. Any factors such as proximity to local traffic highway and indoor smoking activities, which can increase indoor PM2.5 concentrations, resulted in significantly higher airborne phthalate concentrations. Improving ventilation was not an effective measure to reduce indoor airborne phthalate concentrations. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Gas- and PM2.5 - phthalates in residential indoor environment were measured. Air-PM2.5 partition states of phthalates were examined with field measurements. Humid air promoted transfer of phthalate from air to organic aerosols in summer. Improving ventilation is not efficient to mitigate airborne phthalate exposure.