Passive air sampling of flame retardants and plasticizers in Canadian homes using PDMS, XAD-coated PDMS and PUF samplers. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Okeme, Joseph O.; Yang, Congqiao; Abdollahi, Atousa; Dhal, Suman; Harris, Shelley A.; Jantunen, Liisa M.; Tsirlin, Dina; Diamond, Miriam L.
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 239(2018)
• Page Start: 109
• Page End: 117
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: Passive sampling -- Calibration -- PDMS -- XAD-PDMS -- PUF -- Phthalates -- Flame-retardants; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.103
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Passive air samplers (PAS) were evaluated for measuring indoor concentrations of phthalates, novel brominated flame retardants (N-BFRs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organophosphate esters (OPEs). Sampling rates were obtained from a 50-day calibration study for two newly introduced PAS, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or silicone rubber PAS (one with and one without a coating of styrene divinyl benzene co-polymer, XAD) and the commonly used polyurethane foam (PUF) PAS. Average sampling rates normalized to PAS surface area were 1.5 ± 1.1 m 3 day −1 dm −2 for both unsheltered PDMS and XAD-PDMS, and 0.90 m 3 ± 0.6 day −1 dm −2 for partially sheltered PUF. These values were derived based on the compound-specific sampling rates measured here and in the literature for the PAS tested, to reasonably account for site-specific variability of sampling rates. PDMS and PUF were co-deployed for three weeks in 51 homes located in Ottawa and Toronto, Canada. Duplicate PUF and PDMS samplers gave concentrations within 10% of each other. PDMS and PUF-derived air concentrations were not statistically different for gas-phase compounds. PUF had a higher detection of particle-phase compounds such as some OPEs. Phthalate and OPE air concentrations were ∼100 times higher than those of N-BFRs and PBDEs. Concentrations were not systematically related to PM10, temperature or relative humidity. We conclude that both PAS provide replicable estimates of indoor concentrations of these targeted semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) over a three-week deployment period. However, PUF is advantageous for collecting a wider range of compounds including those in the particle phase. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: PDMS, XAD-PDMS and PUF calibrated as indoor passive air samplers. R s of 1.5 ± 1.1 for PDMS and XAD-PDMS and 0.90 ± 0.6 m 3 day −1 dm −2 for PUF. Comparable gas-phase concentrations for PDMS and PUF in 51 homes. PUF detected more particle-phase compounds than PDMS.