Toxic trespassers: Uncovering phthalates and organophosphate flame retardants in children's rooms and their health implications

Nadeem Ali; Iqbal M I Ismail; Sultan H Alamri; Nabil A Alhakamy; Ahmed Summan; Mohammad Rehan; Balqees Sulaiman Alshareef; Nisreen Rajeh; Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah Eqani

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166663

Toxic trespassers: Uncovering phthalates and organophosphate flame retardants in children's rooms and their health implications

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 10:903:166663. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166663. Epub 2023 Aug 29.

Authors

Nadeem Ali¹, Iqbal M I Ismail², Sultan H Alamri³, Nabil A Alhakamy⁴, Ahmed Summan², Mohammad Rehan⁵, Balqees Sulaiman Alshareef⁶, Nisreen Rajeh⁷, Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah Eqani⁸

Affiliations

¹ Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: nabahadar@kau.edu.sa.
² Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Environment, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Center of Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Mohamed Saeed Tamer Chair for Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Faculty of Science, Chemistry Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Clinical Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

PMID: 37652382
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166663

Abstract

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPEs) and phthalates have garnered significant attention due to their widespread presence in indoor environments. Many recent investigations have reported extensive contamination of indoor dust, air, children's toys, and other environmental compartments with these chemicals. This research aimed to analyze OPEs and phthalates in air (PM10) and dust samples collected from the bedrooms of children (N = 30) residing in various households in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. High mean levels (ng/g) of phthalates namely DEHP (1438600) and DnBP (159200) were found in indoor dust while TPhP (5620) was the major OPEs in indoor dust. Similarly, DEHP and DnBP were the predominant phthalates in PM10 samples, exhibiting mean levels of 560 and 680 ng/m3, respectively. However, TCPP was the main OPEs with average levels of 72 ng/m3 in PM10 samples. The majority of individual phthalates and OPEs were detected in 90-100 % of the dust samples, whereas in PM10 samples, their presence ranged from 25 % to 100 %. The concentrations of OPEs were notably greater than those of PBDEs and other BFRs previously reported in these samples, suggesting their broader use than alternative BFRs. The estimated long-term non-carcinogenic risk, hazardous index (HI) and daily exposure via dust for children was above threshold levels for DEHP. On the other hand, the cumulative risk of cancer was below the concerning levels. Further research is required to explore diverse groups of chemicals in indoor microenvironments particularly significant for children, such as kindergartens, primary schools, and their rooms at home.

Keywords: Children exposure; Indoor dust; Organophosphate flame retardants; PM10; Phthalates.