Chlorinated paraffins in the indoor and outdoor atmospheric particles from the Pearl River Delta: Characteristics, sources, and human exposure risks

Meihui Zhuo; Shengtao Ma; Guiying Li; Yingxin Yu; Taicheng An

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.107

Chlorinated paraffins in the indoor and outdoor atmospheric particles from the Pearl River Delta: Characteristics, sources, and human exposure risks

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Feb 10;650(Pt 1):1041-1049. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.107. Epub 2018 Sep 8.

Authors

Meihui Zhuo¹, Shengtao Ma¹, Guiying Li¹, Yingxin Yu¹, Taicheng An²

Affiliations

¹ Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
² Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: antc99@gdut.edu.cn.

PMID: 30308793
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.107

Abstract

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are ubiquitously present in the environment due to their abundant production and consumption. Information on CPs as part of indoor particles is very limited although a significant amount of time is spent in indoor environments. Seventy-two indoor and 66 outdoor TSP/PM₁₀/PM_2.5 samples (particulate matters with aerodynamic diameter <100, 10, and 2.5μm) from 24 homes of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China, were analyzed for CPs. PM_2.5 were found to be the dominant particles both indoors and outdoors. CPs were mainly distributed in PM_2.5 that accounted for 89.1% and 93.0% of the total particles indoors and outdoors, respectively. The geometric mean (GM) concentrations of medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) exceeded those of short-chain CPs (SCCPs) (22.0 vs. 9.2ng/m³) in all particle samples. Both SCCPs and MCCPs in the indoor particles (GM: 13.4 and 30.9ng/m³) were approximately twice as high as in the outdoor environment (GM: 6.1 and 15.2ng/m³). C₁₁ and C₁₄ carbon chains as well as six and seven chlorine homologues were found to be predominant in all samples with average percentages of 43.0% and 55.4%, respectively. The estimated daily CP intakes via PM_2.5 inhalation were 8.1-24.6 and 25.1-76.0ng/kg·bw/day for all age subgroups based on both mean and 95th percentile concentrations of CPs. However, the estimated daily uptakes decreased to 4.4-16.4 and 13.5-50.6ng/kg·bw/day, respectively, when the deposition fractions of PM_2.5 in the human lung were considered. Indoor PM_2.5 attributed to 93.8% exposure of CPs based on both total estimated daily intakes (EDIs) and estimated daily uptakes (EDUs), indicating that the indoor PM_2.5 exposure was very important. Infants and toddlers suffered higher exposure risks of CPs compared to other subgroups, indicating higher potential health risks; however, based on the margin of the exposure analysis these risks could be ignored.

Keywords: Bioaccessibility; Chlorinated paraffins; Fine particles; Human exposure; Indoor and outdoor pollution.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data*
Air Pollution, Indoor / analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor / statistics & numerical data
China
Environmental Monitoring*
Humans
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / analysis
Inhalation Exposure / analysis
Inhalation Exposure / statistics & numerical data*
Paraffin / analysis*
Particulate Matter / analysis*
Risk

Substances

Air Pollutants
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
Particulate Matter
Paraffin