Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in PM2.5, PM10, TSP and gas phase in office environment in Shanghai, China: occurrence and human exposure

Yue Li; Ling Chen; Duong Minh Ngoc; Yan-Ping Duan; Zhi-Bo Lu; Zhi-Hao Wen; Xiang-Zhou Meng

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119144

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in PM2.5, PM10, TSP and gas phase in office environment in Shanghai, China: occurrence and human exposure

PLoS One. 2015 Mar 20;10(3):e0119144. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119144. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Yue Li¹, Ling Chen¹, Duong Minh Ngoc¹, Yan-Ping Duan², Zhi-Bo Lu¹, Zhi-Hao Wen¹, Xiang-Zhou Meng¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai fisheries Research Institute, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

To evaluate risk via inhalation exposure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in office environment, thirty-six pairs air samples including PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm), total suspended particles (TSP) with matching gas phase were collected in office environment in Shanghai, China. The average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and TSP were 20.4, 27.2 and 50.3 μg/m3, respectively. Σ15PBDEs mean concentrations in PM2.5, PM10, TSP and gas phase were 51.8, 110.7, 148 and 59.6 pg/m3, respectively. Much more PBDEs distributed in fine fractions than coarse ones. PBDEs congener profiles found in PM2.5, PM10 and TSP (dominated by BDE-209) were different from that in gas phase (dominated by the tri- to penta-BDEs). Approximately 3.20 pg/kg/d PM2.5 bound PBDEs can be inhaled into the lung; 3.62 pg/kg/d PM10-PM2.5(particles with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5-10 μm) bound PBDEs tended to be deposited in the upper part of respiratory system, and the intake of PBDEs via gas-phase was 2.74 pg/kg/d. The exposure of PBDEs was far below the minimal risk levels (MRLs), indicating lower risk from PBDEs via inhalation in the studied office in Shanghai.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / chemistry*
Air Pollution, Indoor*
China
Environmental Exposure
Environmental Monitoring
Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / chemistry*
Particulate Matter / chemistry*
Risk Assessment

Substances

Air Pollutants
Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
Particulate Matter

Grants and funding

This study is financed by the National Key Technology R&D Program in the 12th Five-Year Plan of China: Research & Development on Suitable Key Technologies of the Village Environmental Monitoring (2012BAJ24B01). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis,decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.