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Brominated flame retardant exposure of aircraft personnel.

Strid, Anna ; Smedje, Greta ; Athanassiadis, Ioannis ; Lindgren, Torsten ; Lundgren, Håkan ; Jakobsson, Kristina LU and Bergman, Ake (2014) In Chemosphere 116(Apr 15). p.83-90
Abstract
The use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in aircraft is the result of high fire safety demands. Personnel working in or with aircraft might therefore be exposed to several BFRs. Previous studies have reported PBDE exposure in flight attendants and in passengers. One other group that may be subjected to significant BFR exposure via inhalation, are the aircraft maintenance workers. Personnel exposure both during flights and maintenance of aircraft, are investigated in the present study. Several BFRs were present in air and dust sampled during both the exposure scenarios; PBDEs, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and 1,2-bis (2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane. PBDEs... (More)
The use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in aircraft is the result of high fire safety demands. Personnel working in or with aircraft might therefore be exposed to several BFRs. Previous studies have reported PBDE exposure in flight attendants and in passengers. One other group that may be subjected to significant BFR exposure via inhalation, are the aircraft maintenance workers. Personnel exposure both during flights and maintenance of aircraft, are investigated in the present study. Several BFRs were present in air and dust sampled during both the exposure scenarios; PBDEs, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and 1,2-bis (2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane. PBDEs were also analyzed in serum from pilots/cabin crew, maintenance workers and from a control group of individuals without any occupational aircraft exposure. Significantly higher concentrations of PBDEs were found in maintenance workers compared to pilots/cabin crew and control subjects with median total PBDE concentrations of 19, 6.8 and 6.6pmolg(-1) lipids, respectively. Pilots and cabin crew had similar concentrations of most PBDEs as the control group, except for BDE-153 and BDE-154 which were significantly higher. Results indicate higher concentrations among some of the pilots compared to the cabin crew. It is however, evident that the cabin personnel have lower BFR exposures compared to maintenance workers that are exposed to such a degree that their blood levels are significantly different from the control group. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Chemosphere
volume
116
issue
Apr 15
pages
83 - 90
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:24745557
  • wos:000343623200013
  • scopus:84908213058
  • pmid:24745557
ISSN
1879-1298
DOI
10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.073
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1fb01aa1-82ec-4a53-8ab9-64319fe3ab0d (old id 4429854)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24745557?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:48:57
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:58:08
@article{1fb01aa1-82ec-4a53-8ab9-64319fe3ab0d,
  abstract     = {{The use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in aircraft is the result of high fire safety demands. Personnel working in or with aircraft might therefore be exposed to several BFRs. Previous studies have reported PBDE exposure in flight attendants and in passengers. One other group that may be subjected to significant BFR exposure via inhalation, are the aircraft maintenance workers. Personnel exposure both during flights and maintenance of aircraft, are investigated in the present study. Several BFRs were present in air and dust sampled during both the exposure scenarios; PBDEs, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and 1,2-bis (2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane. PBDEs were also analyzed in serum from pilots/cabin crew, maintenance workers and from a control group of individuals without any occupational aircraft exposure. Significantly higher concentrations of PBDEs were found in maintenance workers compared to pilots/cabin crew and control subjects with median total PBDE concentrations of 19, 6.8 and 6.6pmolg(-1) lipids, respectively. Pilots and cabin crew had similar concentrations of most PBDEs as the control group, except for BDE-153 and BDE-154 which were significantly higher. Results indicate higher concentrations among some of the pilots compared to the cabin crew. It is however, evident that the cabin personnel have lower BFR exposures compared to maintenance workers that are exposed to such a degree that their blood levels are significantly different from the control group.}},
  author       = {{Strid, Anna and Smedje, Greta and Athanassiadis, Ioannis and Lindgren, Torsten and Lundgren, Håkan and Jakobsson, Kristina and Bergman, Ake}},
  issn         = {{1879-1298}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{Apr 15}},
  pages        = {{83--90}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Chemosphere}},
  title        = {{Brominated flame retardant exposure of aircraft personnel.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.073}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.073}},
  volume       = {{116}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}