Brominated flame retardants in offices in Michigan, U.S.A.

Abstract

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are now ubiquitous contaminants with large reservoirs and high concentrations in buildings. Most of the information documenting BFR levels has been obtained in residences, and other environments that can lead to exposure have received relatively little attention, including offices that contain numerous BFR sources and where individuals spend considerable time. The aim of this study is to characterize BFR concentrations, potential emission sources, and migration pathways in office environments. We measure BFR levels in floor dust, indoor air, ventilation filter dust, and carpets in ten commercial and institutional buildings in Michigan, U.S.A. The median concentration of total BDEs in settled dust was 8754 ng g−1, at the upper range of levels previously reported. Especially elevated levels were found in offices in buildings that contained known or likely BFR sources, e.g., computer servers. A trends analysis in a newly constructed building showed remarkable increases in concentrations of BFRs in settled dust and indoor air, and apparent steady-state levels were reached 5 to 8 months after building completion, a particularly striking finding given that the building was constructed and furnished several years after the voluntary phase-out of the penta- and octa-mixtures. Airborne particulate matter collected in a building's HVAC system filters contained PBDEs, including BDE-209, at levels exceeding the concentration of floor dust. In conjunction with estimates of building air flow rates, filter efficiency and other parameters, mass balance calculations for this building were used to estimate the emission rates and reservoirs of PBDEs. The widespread distribution of BFRs found in offices in both new and old buildings suggests the significance of workplace exposures, the need for controls to minimize human exposure, intra-building migration, and environmental releases of these chemicals, and the need for monitoring in new buildings to confirm the effectiveness of the PBDE phase-out.

Levels of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Air-Conditioner Filter Dust Used to Assess Health Risks in Clinic and Electronic Plant Employees

“…It is believed that pentaBDEs and octaBDEs are continually present on the surface of furniture, consumer electronics, carpets, textiles, and building materials in indoor workplaces in Taiwan. In an American study (Batterman et al, 2010), BDE-47, -71, and -99 were detected in most indoor dust, suggesting that currently on the market consumer products or household appliances were still significant sources of PBDEs despite the 2004 phaseout of pentaBDEs and octaBDEs in commercial products. Indoor PBDE concentrations may be influenced by several environmental factors including ventilation, room temperature, building materials, and numbers and types of consumer electronics (de Wit et al, 2012).…”

“…Recent studies reported high levels of PBDEs in dust from offices, retail stores, libraries, and other workplaces (Harrad et al, 2008;Batterman et al, 2010;Watkins et al, 2013;Xu et al, 2015b). Not much is known on accumulation of PBDEs in air-conditioner filters even through central air-conditioning systems and independent air conditioners have been widely used in many indoor environments such as offices, schools, laboratories, commercial buildings, and retail stores (Ni et al, 2011;Besis et al, 2014;Xu et al, 2015b;Yu et al, 2013).…”

Current levels and composition profiles of PBDEs and alternative flame retardants in surface sediments from the Pearl River Delta, southern China: Comparison with historical data

“…Halogenated (usually brominated or chlorinated) flame retardants (HFRs) are chemicals that are extensively used in consumer products, including electronic equipment, textiles, furniture, and cars, to improve their resistance to fire (Batterman et al, 2010). A class of HFRs known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and Dechlorane Plus (DP) have become a topic of great concern because of their widespread occurrence in the environment and potential adverse effects on humans and wildlife (Cetin and Odabasi, 2007;Qiu et al, 2007;Harrad et al, 2009;Covaci et al, 2011;Ali et al, 2012).…”

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in indoor and outdoor air in a community in Guangzhou, a megacity of southern China

“…Currently, limited information on indoor air contamination of DecaBDEs can be found. The indoor air levels of DecaBDEs reported from other countries (medians < 42 pg/m 3 ) (Fromme et al, 2009;Johnson-Restrepo and Kannan, 2009;Batterman et al, 2010;Bjorklund et al, 2012) were much lower than the levels in the present study, except that higher concentrations (medians ¼ 130e3800 pg/ m 3 ) were found in Sweden (especially in offices and daycare centers) Thuresson et al, 2012). The substantially lower indoor air levels of PBDEs (except for DecaBDEs) in the present study were probably attributed to less rigorous fire prevention standard in China than in North America and Europe, which results in the small use of BFRs in indoor products and lower emission from the products.…”