Human exposure to phthalates from house dust in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

The study determined concentrations of and estimated human exposure to house dust-ingested phthalates from 99 homes in Bangkok, Thailand. Phthalates in dust collected using a handheld vacuum cleaner was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry revealing a median content of 3,477 µg g⁻¹, range 753–13,810 µg g⁻¹, with di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) having the highest level (median = 1,739 µg g⁻¹, range 467–8,172 µg g⁻¹) followed by di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DiNP) (median = 611 µg g⁻¹, range 15.2–11,052 µg g⁻¹). DEHP in house dust from multi-family apartments with polyvinyl (PVC) floor material (n = 34), multi-family apartments without PVC floor material (n = 55) and single family houses without PVC floor material (n = 10) was median and range 3,009 and 568–6,898; 1,479 and range 467–8,172 and 1,207 µg g⁻¹ and 611–3518 µg g⁻¹, respectively. At high-end house dust DEHP level, preschool children in all three types of homes were exposed above US Environment Protection Agency reference dose (20 µg g⁻¹). The results suggest phthalate-containing house products constitute a likely major source of phthalates in indoor home environment and pose a potential health risk to residents, particularly preschool children, in Bangkok.

Keywords:

• Exposure
• house dust
• phthalate
• polyvinyl chloride
• Thailand

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all participants for granting interviews and permission to collect dust samples from their homes, and the Editorial Office, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University for assistance in proof-reading the article.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by The Royal Golden Jubilee PhD Scholarship Program, The Thailand Research Fund (Grant No. PHD/0122/2557) and in part by the Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University.