Occurrence of triphenylphosphine oxide and other organophosphorus compounds in indoor air and settled dust of an institute building

Abstract

Please cite this article as: Faiz Y, Zhao W, Feng J, Sun C, He H, Zhu J, Occurrence of triphenylphosphine oxide and other organophosphorus compounds in indoor air and settled dust of an institute building, Building and Environment (2016), AbstractIndoor environments contain a wide range of synthetic products that emit a variety of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Among these SVOCs, organophosphorus compounds (OPs) are ubiquitous in indoor environments with relatively high concentrations.This study investigated the occurrence of seven OPs including triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) in three different types of indoor spaces (offices, conference halls and laboratories) of an institute building. A total of 39 airborne particulate matter (PM 10 ) and ten settled dust samples were analyzed. Among the seven target OPs, tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tri(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCPP) and TPPO were the major ones found in these samples.TPPO was for the first time identified in indoor environments with levels up to 94 ng/m 3 in indoor air and 1.1 µg/g in the indoor settled dust. Positive identity of TPPO in the samples was confirmed by comparisons of the mass spectrum of TPPO peak with that of TPPO standard and same GC retention time of TPPO from samples and from the standard. Compositions of OPs in these samples revealed different sources of OPs present in the indoorspaces. An equilibrium model was used to predict OPs in settled indoor dust from their corresponding levels found in indoor airborne particulate matters. There was a statistically significant correlation between predicted and measured OPs in settled dust in all three types of indoor spaces. The difference between measured and model predicted OP levels in settled dust was in the general range of predictions reported for indoor air SVOCs.

Occurrence and human exposure assessment of organophosphate flame retardants in indoor dust from various microenvironments of the Rhine/Main region, Germany

“…This similarity likely reflects analogous sources of OPFRs in these indoor microenvironments. Unlike these countries, in China, TCEP and TCIPP were the dominant compounds in private homes and offices (Figure A,B), while TCEP was dominant in daycare centers (Figure C) . Such differences can be explained by the fact that there is no legislative restriction on the production and use of TCEP in China to date, while TCEP is restricted under the 2006 REACH legislation in Europe and equivalent legislation in the USA .…”

“…Linked to the ubiquitous presence of OPFRs in indoor environments and their potential for adverse health effects, there is increasing concern about human exposure to OPFRs. Concentrations and exposure assessments of OPFRs in indoor dust have been reported in various countries and regions, including China, Japan, Sweden, the USA, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Belgium, Kuwait, Pakistan, Romania, the Netherlands, and the UK . Most of these studies focused on private homes and offices, rather than on other microenvironments, like building material markets and floor/carpet stores, even though polyurethane foam (PUF) insulation materials and plasticizers have been implicated as the major sources of OPFRs in indoor air at such locations .…”

Determination of organophosphate flame retardants in soil and fish using ultrasound‐assisted extraction, solid‐phase clean‐up, and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

“…Background contamination is an important issue to take into account when working with PFRs since they are widely used in lab material and equipment, and their presence is known in indoor air and dust . Different strategies have been developed to minimize blank contamination during the sample preparation: minimizing surface contact during sample handling by reducing clean‐up, performing extraction and evaporation steps, working in a cleanroom, precleaning all glassware with a polar and nonpolar solvent , and rinsing the walls of this glassware with an organic solvent .…”

Concentrations and Dietary Exposure to Organophosphate Esters in Foodstuffs from Albany, New York, United States

“…A few recent studies have reported carcinogenic and neurotoxic potentials of chlorinated OPEs and tris­(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), , and exposure to OPEs has been linked to reproductive effects in humans . Further, OPEs have been found to be ubiquitous in various environmental matrices, such as outdoor air, − indoor air, , indoor dust, − water, − sediment, , soil, and biota. − …”