Flame retardants in indoor air at an electronics recycling plant and at other work environments

Air samples from a plant engaged in recycling electronics goods, a factory assembling printed circuit boards, a computer repair facility, offices equi pped with computers, and outdoor air have been analyzed with respect to the ir content of brominated hydrocarbon and phosphate ester flame retardants. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polybrominated biphenyls, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tri bromophenoxy)ethane, tetra bromobisphenol A, and organophosphate esters wer e all detected in the indoor air samples, with the highest concentrations b eing detected in air from the recycling plant. In air from the dismantling hall at the recycling plant the average concentrations of decabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromobisphenol A, and triphenyl phosphate were 38, 55, and 58 pmol/m(3), respectively. Significantly higher levels of all of these additi ves were present in air in the vicinity of the shredder at the dismantling pla nt. This is the first time th at 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane a nd several arylated phosphate esters are reported to be contaminants of air in occupational settings. At all of the other sites investigated, low leve ls of flame retardants were detected in the indoor air. Flame retardants as sociated with airborne particles, present at elevated levels, pose a potent ial health hazard to the exposed workers.