Human exposure to phthalate esters from indoor air and dust in China

摘要

Phthalate esters are ubiquitous contaminants in indoor environment. In this study, we measured concentrations of phthalate esters in indoor air and indoor dust. The results indicated that concentrations of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) had the same order of magnitude in indoor air. However, DEHP was the highest phthalate in indoor dust. We estimated the daily intake of phthalate esters through the routes of dust ingestion and air inhalation. The contributions of indoor air to DBP and DEHP exposure were 28% and 0.28% of the estimated total daily intake, respectively. The contributions of indoor dust to phthalate esters were less than 1%. Our results indicated that indoor air inhalation and dust ingestion were not significant routes of DEHP exposure. However, DBP intake via inhalation of indoor air should be taken into account.