Exploring the residential exposome: Determination of hazardous flame retardants in air filter dust from HVAC systems

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 248; p. 118223
• Main Authors: Schachterle, Morgan L., Lowe, Luis E., Owens, Janel E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Air filter; Air Filters; Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Dust; Dust - analysis; Environmental Monitoring; Esters - analysis; Exposome; Flame retardants; Flame Retardants - analysis; Gas chromatography mass spectrometry; Organophosphate ester flame retardants; Organophosphates - analysis; T24DtBPP; tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate; Gas chromatography mass spectrometry; Dust; Air filter; T24DtBPP; Flame retardants; Organophosphate ester flame retardants; tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118223
• ISSN: 0013-9351

Dust is a sink for flame retardants, which are added to a myriad of consumer products in residential spaces. Organophosphate esters (OPEs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are two classes of flame retardants that are frequently used in consumer products and consequently found in dust. In this present work, a novel solvent-limited microextraction technique, which we detailed in a companion study, was applied for the determination of four OPEs and two BFRs with limits of quantitation at the ng/g level by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry from n = 47 air filter dust samples collected from forced air HVAC systems. Levels of the BFRs, including tetrabromobisphenol-A and its derivative tribromobisphenol-A, were found at levels <4 μg/g and not frequently detected. Conversely, all four OPEs were detected in all air filter dust samples. Total OPE load was dominated by tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate, T24DtBPP, a novel OPE not widely examined in the literature. Comparison of individual and total OPE concentrations to residential characteristics revealed statistically significant relationships to location of the home and dominant flooring type. Overall, this study motivates future work in examining the whole house exposome using air filter dust as a passive sampling regime with more examination of T24DtBPP loads within other indoor spaces. [Display omitted] •We collected dust from HVAC air filters (n = 47) from 36 residential spaces.•The dust was surveyed for four organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and two brominated flame retardants.•All four OPEs surveyed in the study were detected in all air filters, with the total OPE load dominated by T24DtBPP.•OPE concentrations were statistically significantly affected by home location and flooring predominantly found in the home.