Human exposure to HBCD and TBBPA via indoor dust in Korea: Estimation of external exposure and body burden

Abstract

Human exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) mainly occurs through diet and dust ingestion. In this study, the BFR concentrations in 124 vacuum dust samples of six categories of indoor environments (homes, offices, kindergartens, cars, schools, and public indoor environments) and 32 surface dust samples were investigated. The median Sigma HBCD concentrations ranged from 10630 ng g(-1) in home dust to 496.13 ng g(-1) in office dust. The TBBPA concentrations in indoor dust (from 78.87 to 463.81 ng g(-1)) were among the highest compared to other countries because of the high market demand for this flame retardant in Korea. The TBBPA concentrations in surface dust of living rooms were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than sleeping rooms, due to the presence of more electrical equipment in living rooms. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of Sigma HBCD and TBBPA (dust + diet) for toddlers were 6.18 ng kg(-1) bw d(-1) and 2.54 ng kg(-1) bw d(-1), respectively. In general, the Sigma HBCD estimated body burden of Korean adults showed good agreement with the reported Sigma HBCD median concentrations in their sera. Since the developmental health effect of exposure to HBCD was categorized as "high hazard" by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the estimated high body burden of Sigma HBCD in Korean toddlers (7.91 ng g(-1) 1w) warns us of possible adverse effects on the development of essential systems in their bodies.