Endocrine disrupting chemicals in house dust: results of a representative monitoring

In the last years endocrine disrupting properties were detected for some ch emicals, i.e. biocides, phthalic esters and alkylphenols. As these compound s may also be present in the indoor environment, it is of interest to know, whether residents may be exposed. Analyses of housedust are one possibilit y to estimate an exposition, as housedust represents a sink for semivolatil e and non volatile substances. Results for the determination of endocrine d isrupting biocides, phthalates and phenols in housedust are presented here. Biocides were p,p'-DDT (p, p 'dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), lindane (g amma -hexachlorocyclohexane), methoxychlor and PCP (pentachlorophenol), pht halates were di-iso-butyl-, di-n-butyl-, benzylbutyl- and di(ethylhexyl)pht halate (DnBP, DiBP, BBP, DEHP) and phenols were n-octylphenol(nOP), tert. o ceylphenol (tOP), techn. nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BisA) und tert.buty lmethoxyphenol (BHA). 95. percentiles, obtained for the less than or equal to 63-mum-fraction of the dust samples (n = 286) and collected by commercia lly available vacuum cleaners, amounted to 3,9 mg/kg for DDT, to 0,67 mg/kg for lindane, to 10 mg/kg for methoxychlor, to 8,3 mg/kg for PCP, to 130 mg /kg for DiBP, to 240 mg/kg for DnBP, to 320 mg/kg for BBP, to 2600 mg/kg fo r DEHP, to 1,5 mg/kg for nOP, to 0,86 mg/kg for tOP, to 18 mg/kg for NP, to 9,2 mg/kg for BisA and to 2,0 mg/kg for BHA. Results for biocides confirm those obtained on earlier studies. Alkylphenols were analysed systematicall y in housedust for the first time. For phthalates on the other hand no repr esentative data are known up to. now. Results are discussed in relation to selected attributes of the households and types of habitation. Details were obtained from interviews of the participants.