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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in aircraft cabins - A source of human exposure?

Christiansson, Anna ; Hovander, Lotta ; Athanassiadis, Ioannis ; Jakobsson, Kristina LU and Bergman, Ake (2008) In Chemosphere 73(10). p.1654-1660
Abstract
Commercial aircrafts need a high degree of fire protection for passenger safety. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), may be used for this purpose. Because PBDEs readily absorb to dust particles, aircraft crew and passengers may receive significant PBDEs exposure via inhalation. The aims of this work were to assess whether PBDEs could be found in aircraft cabin dust and whether serum levels of PBDEs increased in passengers after long-distance flights. Hence nine subjects on intercontinental flights collected cabin dust samples, as well as donated blood samples before departure and after return to Sweden. Two subjects who were domestic frequent flyers were also investigated. The levels of... (More)
Commercial aircrafts need a high degree of fire protection for passenger safety. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), may be used for this purpose. Because PBDEs readily absorb to dust particles, aircraft crew and passengers may receive significant PBDEs exposure via inhalation. The aims of this work were to assess whether PBDEs could be found in aircraft cabin dust and whether serum levels of PBDEs increased in passengers after long-distance flights. Hence nine subjects on intercontinental flights collected cabin dust samples, as well as donated blood samples before departure and after return to Sweden. Two subjects who were domestic frequent flyers were also investigated. The levels of PBDEs in dust and serum were determined by GC/MS in electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) mode. Authentic reference substances were used for identification and quantitation. PBDEs were found in all aircraft dust samples at high concentrations, higher than in common household dust. Congener patterns indicated that the technical products PentaBDE, OctaBDE and DecaBDE were used in the aircrafts. Serum concentrations in the travellers were similar to those observed in Swedish residents in general. Post-travel serum levels of BDE-28. BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, and BDE-154 were significantly higher(p<0.05) than concentrations prior to travel. The findings from this pilot study call for investigations of occupational exposures to PBDEs in cabin and cockpit crews. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Dust, BFR, Human levels, Analysis, Human serum, PBDEs
in
Chemosphere
volume
73
issue
10
pages
1654 - 1660
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000261561600012
  • scopus:54549090877
ISSN
1879-1298
DOI
10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.07.071
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
60bef2e9-7eff-4d5a-bad7-50290ba53be5 (old id 1305710)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:48:38
date last changed
2022-01-26 18:35:42
@article{60bef2e9-7eff-4d5a-bad7-50290ba53be5,
  abstract     = {{Commercial aircrafts need a high degree of fire protection for passenger safety. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), may be used for this purpose. Because PBDEs readily absorb to dust particles, aircraft crew and passengers may receive significant PBDEs exposure via inhalation. The aims of this work were to assess whether PBDEs could be found in aircraft cabin dust and whether serum levels of PBDEs increased in passengers after long-distance flights. Hence nine subjects on intercontinental flights collected cabin dust samples, as well as donated blood samples before departure and after return to Sweden. Two subjects who were domestic frequent flyers were also investigated. The levels of PBDEs in dust and serum were determined by GC/MS in electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) mode. Authentic reference substances were used for identification and quantitation. PBDEs were found in all aircraft dust samples at high concentrations, higher than in common household dust. Congener patterns indicated that the technical products PentaBDE, OctaBDE and DecaBDE were used in the aircrafts. Serum concentrations in the travellers were similar to those observed in Swedish residents in general. Post-travel serum levels of BDE-28. BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, and BDE-154 were significantly higher(p&lt;0.05) than concentrations prior to travel. The findings from this pilot study call for investigations of occupational exposures to PBDEs in cabin and cockpit crews. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Christiansson, Anna and Hovander, Lotta and Athanassiadis, Ioannis and Jakobsson, Kristina and Bergman, Ake}},
  issn         = {{1879-1298}},
  keywords     = {{Dust; BFR; Human levels; Analysis; Human serum; PBDEs}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1654--1660}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Chemosphere}},
  title        = {{Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in aircraft cabins - A source of human exposure?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.07.071}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.07.071}},
  volume       = {{73}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}