Pentachlorophenol in indoor environments. Correlation of PCP concentrations in air and settled dust from floors

The investigation of settled dust is a proven and simple screening-method f or considering indoor contamination for semivolatile compounds. Here we inv estigate the correlation of PCP concentrations in air and freshly settled d ust from floors. Air and dust samples were taken from 75 rooms in 30 buildi ngs with suspicion of an application of PCP-containing wood preservatives. sampling was repeated four times within 18 months. PCP air concentrations w ere found in the range of < 0.3-576 ng m(-3) (mean value 25.3 ng m(-3), med ian 2.5 ng m(-3)). PCP dust concentrations were found. in the range of 0.08 3-79 mu g g(-1) (mean value 3.5 mu g g(-1), median 1.1 mu g g(-1)). A weak highly significant correlation (P less than or equal to 0.0001) with a corr elation coefficient of R-2 = 0.433, of the PCP concentration in dust with t he PCP concentration in air, was observed. Measurement of PCP concentration s in dust,therefore, is a suitable screening method for the evaluation of i ndoor contamination with PCP. Due to the high dispersion of the data it is not possible to calculate PCP concentrations in air from concentrations in dust although a highly significant correlation of the PCP concentrations in air and dust was found. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved .