Accumulation Characteristics And Health Risk Assessment Of PAEs In Indoor Glass Window Films

Indoor glass window films have been used as passive samplers for a wide range of environmental contaminants to study the pollution characteristics and risk assessment. Many phthalate diesters (PAEs) were reported to possess endocrine disrupting potential. PAEs can enter human body via food comsuption, inhalation and dermal contact, possing heath risk to human. In this study, indoor window film samples were collected in 2 buildings of a university in Harbin, China during 2014-2015 for the determination of six phthalate diesters (PAEs). The objective of this study were to examine the growth characteristics of indoor window film, to investigate the occurrence, concentrations and profiles of PAEs in summer and winter, and to evaluate potential human health risk from exposure to PAEs in the indoor environment.Linear regression analysis suggested that the film mass was positively and significantly correlated with the duration of film growth. The film thickness were 8.4 and 14 nm after 49 and 77 days of accumulation, respectively. The film growth rate during winter and summer were 0.13 ± 0.07 and 0.12 ± 0.06 nm/day, respectively. The film thickness was significantly correlated with relatvie humidity, but not with average temperature. The detection frequency of PAEs ranged from 95 to 100%. The median concentrations of total six PAEs (∑6PAEs) in winter and summer window film samples were 9900 ng/m2 (2000 μg/g) and 4700 ng/m2 (650 μg/g), respectively, approximately 2 times higher than that in summer samples. DEHP was the dominant compound in both winter and summer samples, followed by DBP and DiBP.The number of days exposed is the most important factor that influence the concentrations of PAEs (in ng/m2) in window film, showing a positive relationship with PAE concentrations. Room temperature and relative humidity were negetively and significantly correlated with the concentrations of PAEs. Ventilation in cold winter in Noreastern China negatively influenced the concentrations of PAEs in window film. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis suggested that the source of PAEs in the film samples were from daily commercial products and personal care products.The indoor air concentration of PAEs was derived from the concentrations measured in window films, on the basis of equilibrium state model. As the donimant compounds, the derived median concentrations of DiBP, DBP and DEHP in winter season were 280,660 and 200 ng/m, respectively, where those in summer season were 350,1600 and 140 ng/m3, respectively.In both winter and summer, the harzard index (HI) posed to tenagers and adults were lower than 1, suggesting that the intake of PAEs was considered as acceptable. The HI values were higher for teenagers than that of adults. The median hazard quotient (HQ) for PAEs followed the order of:DBP> DEHP> DiBP for tenagers and adults in both winter and summer.