Emerging Contaminants in Car Interiors: Evaluating the Impact of Airborne PBDEs and PBDD/Fs

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 42; no. 17; pp. 6431 - 6436
• Main Authors: Mandalakis, Manolis, Stephanou, Euripides G, Horii, Yuichi, Kannan, Kurunthachalam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.09.2008
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollution; Air Pollution, Indoor; Airborne particulates; Applied sciences; Benzofurans - analysis; Characterization of Natural and Affected Environments; Chemical products; Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; Exact sciences and technology; Human exposure; Motor Vehicles; PCB; Pollution; Polybrominated Biphenyls - analysis; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analogs & derivatives; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis; Quality Control; Regression analysis; Studies; Temperature; Dioxin derivatives; Linear regression; Flame retardant; Volatile organic compound; Regression analysis; Low volatile compound; Multiple regression; Inhalation; Persistent organic pollutant; Pollution; Health and environment; Cabin; Detection limit; Public health; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es7030533

Air samples from automobile cabins were collected and analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDFs), and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs). The concentration of total PBDEs (ΣPBDE; sum of 19 congeners) varied from 0.4 to 2644 pg m−3, with a median of 201 pg m−3, while BDE 47, 99, and 209 collectively accounted for 70 ± 30% of ΣPBDE concentrations. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that ΣPBDE concentration was significantly influenced by vehicle’s age and interior temperature. More specifically, ΣPBDE decreased over time and increased with the rise of temperature. The daily inhalation intake of PBDEs during commuting was estimated to range from 0.5 to 2909 pg day−1 (median 221 pg day−1) and contributed 29% of the overall daily exposure to PBDEs via inhalation. When excluding BDE 209, a lower contribution was calculated for this source (18%), but this was still comparable with residential exposure (22%). The levels of PBDD/Fs were generally below the limits of detection and only in one case were hepta-BDFs positively detected at a concentration of 61 pg m−3. This study demonstrates that car interiors, especially when new, contain high levels of airborne PBDEs and represent a potential route of human exposure via inhalation.