Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Levine Science Research Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Environ Toxicol Chem. 2018 Feb;37(2):481-490. doi: 10.1002/etc.3981. Epub 2017 Nov 30.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardant polymer additives that are widely detected in outdoor and indoor environments. Release of PBDEs from consumer products leads to high concentrations indoors, but mechanisms of release are poorly understood. Although ingestion of dust is a well-studied indoor PBDE exposure route, the importance of inhalation exposure is uncertain. To address these unknowns, dust was collected from household vacuum cleaners, and suspended particulate matter was collected from the same homes in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, using a cascade impactor. Size-fractionated particulate matter samples (0.01-18 μm diameter) were analyzed for PBDEs. The sum of PBDEs in all particulate matter ranged from 8.7 ± 0.5 to 15.7 ± 0.5 pg/m , with >50% of PBDE mass in respirable particulate matter (<1 μm). Mass loadings as a function of particle size suggested that both abrasion and off-gassing led to the presence of PBDEs in particulate matter. Variability in the particulate matter mass loadings indicated that emission mechanisms were both product- and location-dependent. Congener profiles in colocated vacuum dust and particulate matter samples were different, indicating that vacuum dust cannot accurately predict PBDE congeners in respirable particulate matter. A calculated lower limit inhalation exposure to PBDEs (0.19 ng/d) is lower than exposure via diet or ingestion of dust, although the different biochemical pathways for inhalation compared with ingestion may have different biological effects. The present study highlights the importance of contaminant analysis in size-fractionated particulate matter to assess human exposure via inhalation compared with traditional vacuum dust methods. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:481-490. © 2017 SETAC.
多溴二苯醚（PBDEs）是一种阻燃聚合物添加剂，广泛存在于室外和室内环境中。消费品中 PBDEs 的释放导致室内浓度较高，但释放机制尚不清楚。尽管摄入灰尘是室内 PBDE 暴露的一种研究充分的途径，但吸入暴露的重要性尚不确定。为了解决这些未知问题，从新不伦瑞克省圣约翰市的家庭用真空吸尘器中收集灰尘，并使用级联冲击器从同一家庭中收集悬浮颗粒物。对粒径分级的颗粒物样品（0.01-18 μm 直径）进行 PBDEs 分析。所有颗粒物中 PBDEs 的总和范围为 8.7 ± 0.5 至 15.7 ± 0.5 pg/m3，其中 >50%的 PBDE 质量存在于可吸入颗粒物（<1 μm）中。根据粒径的质量负荷表明，磨损和放气都会导致颗粒物中存在 PBDEs。颗粒物质量负荷的可变性表明，排放机制既取决于产品，也取决于位置。在相同位置采集的真空吸尘器灰尘和颗粒物样本中的同系物分布不同，表明真空吸尘器灰尘无法准确预测可吸入颗粒物中的 PBDE 同系物。计算得到的 PBDEs 吸入暴露下限（0.19ng/d）低于饮食或摄入灰尘的暴露量，尽管与摄入相比，吸入的不同生化途径可能具有不同的生物学效应。本研究强调了在粒径分级颗粒物中进行污染物分析的重要性，以评估与传统的真空吸尘器灰尘方法相比，通过吸入途径接触污染物对人体的影响。Environ Toxicol Chem 2018；37：481-490。2017 年 SETAC 出版。
