ORGANOPHOSPHATE ESTER FLAME RETARDANTS AND PLASTICIZERS IN THE INDOORENVIRONMENT - ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY AND OCCURRENCE

Nine organophosphate esters, which are commercially used as plasticize rs and/or flame retardants, were identified and quantified in air samp les from some common indoor work environments, i.e., an office buildin g, a day care center, and three school buildings. One of the compounds was identified as tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, a substance that has been shown to be a neurotoxic and genotoxic agent. The concentration l evels of this substance were found to be as high as 250 ng/m(3). In or der to examine whether the organophosphates were transferred from the outdoor air, the occurrence of organophosphates in outdoor ambient air was investigated. The levels of the individual compounds in the outdo or air samples were found to be less than 1 ng/m(3), which indicates t hat the main sources of organophosphates in indoor air were located in doors. A comparison between the studied indoor environments showed lar ge differences in the concentration profiles of the nine identified co mpounds. This was most probably due to the large variation in indoor m aterials, furniture, and equipment between the different indoor work e nvironments. A method for sampling and analysis is described and evalu ated. Samples were collected by pumping air through filter and polyure thane foam plugs. At a low sampling rate, 3 L/min, the organophosphate s were strongly associated with the filter, by polar interactions eith er directly to the filter or to the particulate phase adsorbed on the filter. Ultrasonication was shown to be a fast and efficient extractio n method for all of the organophosphates studied.