Characterization of residential household dust from Shanghai by particle size and analysis of organophosphorus flame retardants and metals

Abstract

Background: Physical and biological properties of dust particles might affect the availability and distribution of chemicals associated to indoor dust; however it has not been adequately examined. In this study, household dust from Shanghai was fractionated into five particle sizes and size distribution, morphology, surface area, organic matter, microorganisms, elemental composition, metals and organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) compositions were characterized. Also, household dust samples from Stockholm that has previously been characterized were included in the analysis of OPFRs for comparison. Results:The respirable fraction had a yield of 3.3% in mass percentage, with a particle size of 2.22 ± 2.04 µm. As expected, both metals and OPFRs concentrations increased with decreased particle size. Al and Fe dominated (66-87%) followed by the concentrations of Zn (5-14%) and Ga (1.8-5%) of the sum of 16 metals in the dust. The concentrations of OPFRs in Shanghai dust ranged from 5.34 to 13.7 µg/g (median: 7.21 µg/g), compared to household dust from Stockholm that ranged from 16.0 to 28.3 µg/g (median: 26.6 µg/g). Tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) dominated in Shanghai dust samples while tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) dominated in dust from Stockholm homes. Conclusion:The results showed that mass percentage for each particle size fraction was not evenly distributed. Furthermore, the particle-bound microorganisms and OPFRs increased with decreased particle size, whereas metals had the highest concentrations at specific dust sizes. Therefore, it is essential to select the proper particle size in order to assess any specific human exposure study to indoor pollutants.

Physico-chemical characterization of indoor settled dust in Children's microenvironments in Ikeja and Ota, Nigeria

“…All sample locations were divided into four strata, and composite samples from each of the different strata were merged, wrapped in labelled aluminium foil and sealed in an airtight ziploc bag in preparation for analysis. The vacuum brush was pre-cleaned with methanol before and after the collection of samples to avoid cross-contamination of samples and ensure the integrity of the results [ 27 ]. Since most floor polishing products contain corrosive metals and non-metals like Fe and Si, it was verified that they were not utilized throughout the sampling time to prevent a deceptive portrayal of the sampled areas.…”

“…The SEM micrograph revealed rectangular, sharp-edged oxygen, silicon, and aluminium particles [ 23 ]. The Shanghai study [ 27 ] discovered flake-like, fibrous, rod-like, and spherical particles. The most abundant elements in the surface elemental analysis were carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.…”

Bolu’da Ev Tozu ile İlişkili Sağlık Risklerinin Tahmin Edilmesi

“…Similarly, Shang et al (2019) [68] measured the short and long chain of chlorinated paraffin in Canadian house dust. Li et al (2019) [54] put forward that chlorinated flame retardants present in the household dust in Shanghai (China). Consequently, extremely high enrichment of Cl in dust samples collected in the current study may be associated with the organics in addition to inorganic dust and further detail analysis of samples for these parameters is emerging.…”

Characteristics of iron-containing magnetic particles in household dust from an urban area: A case study in the megacity of Shanghai

“…Household dust is effectively a reservoir of indoor contaminants and has been widely used to study exposure risk of contaminants in the indoor environment (e.g., Ao et al, 2017;Bu et al, 2020;. In Shanghai, studies have characterized the organic/inorganic pollutant composition of household dust (e.g., organophosphorus flame retardants, PAHs and metals) (Peng et al, 2012;Li et al, 2019). Magnetic measurements have been successfully used to examine the concentration, mineralogy, and grain size of IMPs deriving from traffic and industrial emission sources (e.g., coal combustion, metallurgical manufacturing) in various environmental samples in Shanghai, including atmospheric particles (Shu et al, 2000(Shu et al, , 2001, street dust (Yang et al, 2016;Wang et al, 2019), top soil (e.g., Jaffar et al, 2017Wang et al, 2018) and subway dust (Zhang et al, 2011).…”