No abstract

International audienceSixty-six semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)—phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), one pyrethroid, organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticides, alkylphenols, synthetic musks, tri-n-butylphosphate and triclosan—were measured on PM10 filters collected over 7 days during a nationwide survey of 285 French dwellings, representative of nearly 25 million housing units. Thirty-five compounds were detected in more than half of the dwellings. PAHs, phthalates and triclosan were the major particle-bound SVOCs, with a median concentration greater than 1 ng m−3 for butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP) (median: 1.6 ng m−3), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) (46 ng m−3) and di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DiNP) (7.9 ng m−3), and greater than 0.1 ng m−3 for triclosan (114 pg m−3), benzo(a)anthracene (44.4 pg m−3), benzo(a)pyrene (138 pg m−3), benzo(b)fluoranthene (306 pg m−3), benzo(g,h,i)perylene (229 pg m−3), and indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene (178 pg m−3). For most of the SVOCs, higher concentrations were found in the dwellings of smokers and during the heating season. The concentrations of banned SVOCs—namely, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides—were correlated. Permethrin, 4-tert-butylphenol and bisphenol-A showed no correlation with the other SVOCs and seemed to have their own specific sources. Most SVOCs were positively associated with PM10 concentration, suggesting that any factor that raises the mass of indoor airborne particles also increases the exposure to SVOCs through inhalatio

BackgroundThe amount of lead in the environment has decreased significantly in recent years, and so did exposure. However, there is no known safe exposure level and, therefore, the exposure of children to lead, although low, remains a major public health issue. With the lower levels of exposure, it is becoming more difficult to identify lead sources and new approaches may be required for preventive action. This study assessed the usefulness of lead isotope ratios for identifying sources of lead using data from a nationwide sample of French children aged from six months to six years with blood lead levels ≥25 μg/L.MethodsBlood samples were taken from 125 children, representing about 600,000 French children; environmental samples were taken from their homes and personal information was collected. Lead isotope ratios were determined using quadrupole ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry) and the isotopic signatures of potential sources of exposure were matched with those of blood in order to identify the most likely sources.ResultsIn addition to the interpretation of lead concentrations, lead isotope ratios were potentially of use for 57% of children aged from six months to six years with blood lead level ≥ 25 μg/L (7% of overall children in France, about 332,000 children), with at least one potential source of lead and sufficiently well discriminated lead isotope ratios. Lead isotope ratios revealed a single suspected source of exposure for 32% of the subjects and were able to eliminate at least one unlikely source of exposure for 30% of the children.ConclusionsIn France, lead isotope ratios could provide valuable additional information in about a third of routine environmental investigations.