Pentachlorophenol in the indoor environment: evidence for a correlation between pentachlorophenol in passively deposited suspended particulate and in urine of exposed persons.

Analysis of passively deposited suspended particulate (PDSP) proved to be a reliable and easily applicable method for the investigation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) exposure from indoor air. PDSP was analyzed after manual collection of samples in 78 rooms with wooden paneling, where earlier treatment with wood preservatives was suspected. Pentachlorophenol was quantitatively determined by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector following derivatization with acetic anhydride. For biological monitoring of PCP, morning urine specimens were collected from 135 persons living in the rooms investigated. After acidic hydrolysis, these samples were analyzed for PCP. The urine samples from 9% of the test-persons exceeded a PCP level of 10 micrograms/g creatinine. From this urine level, a corresponding PCP level of approximately 40 micrograms/g in PDSP could be calculated. These results show that there is still a considerable risk of exposure to PCP, even after a long period following treatment of wood with PCP-containing preservatives.