Occurrence, exposure and risk assessment of semi-volatile organic compounds in Chinese homes

Xianbao Dong; Chen Yang; Ruohan Zhang; Siru Tao; Wenjing Han; Yan Wang; Qing Xie; Jingwen Chen; Xuehua Li

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119550

Occurrence, exposure and risk assessment of semi-volatile organic compounds in Chinese homes

Environ Pollut. 2022 Aug 15:307:119550. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119550. Epub 2022 May 27.

Authors

Xianbao Dong¹, Chen Yang¹, Ruohan Zhang¹, Siru Tao¹, Wenjing Han¹, Yan Wang¹, Qing Xie¹, Jingwen Chen¹, Xuehua Li²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
² Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China. Electronic address: lixuehua@dlut.edu.cn.

PMID: 35636718
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119550

Abstract

Indoor semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) can have a significant impact on human health. Previous studies involved the detection of limited classes of indoor SVOCs in different regions of China. However, overall indoor pollution profiles and the associated health risks via multiple exposure pathways remain unclear. High-throughput screening of SVOCs would help clarify the overall indoor pollution status and identify high-risk pollutants. We collected indoor air and dust samples from 35 Chinese homes and investigated the occurrence of a wide range of SVOCs. Ninety-seven SVOCs including phthalate esters (PAEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organophosphate esters, alcohols, fatty acids, phenols, etc., were detected in the air (total concentrations: 0.13-48 μg/m³; median: 3.4 μg/m³) and dust (total concentrations: 120-1500 μg/g; median: 490 μg/g) samples. PAEs were the most abundant, accounting for 55.3 ± 28.6% and 43.4 ± 16.9% of the total SVOC concentrations in the air and dust samples respectively. Human exposure and health risks of 34 SVOCs with detection frequencies >10% were assessed based on inhalation, ingestion and dermal absorption of SVOCs from air and dust by infants and adults. In the case of indoor SVOCs with log K_oa < 9, inhalation and dermal contact with air was >90% for adults and >69% for infants. The following five SVOCs in air samples posed significant non-carcinogenic risks and are listed based on their decreasing risk level: dibutyl phthalate > phenanthrene > stearic acid > methyl palmitate > lauryl alcohol. Four PAHs with 2-4 rings posed potential carcinogenic risks, with phenanthrene exceeding the acceptable risk level of 10^-4. The high risks posed by SVOCs were due to inhalation exposure. Therefore, keeping the air concentrations of SVOCs, especially that of PAEs and PAHs under check would greatly benefit human health in indoor environments.

Keywords: Dermal absorption; Health risk; High-throughput screening; Ingestion; Inhalation; SVOCs.

MeSH terms

Adult
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
Dust / analysis
Esters
Humans
Infant
Phenanthrenes*
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Volatile Organic Compounds* / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Dust
Esters
Phenanthrenes
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Volatile Organic Compounds