Passive Air Sampling Survey of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether in Private Cars: Implications for Sources and Human Exposure

In order to characterize polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) contamination in vehicle interiors, airborne concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers were investigated using PUF disk passive air samplers in 25 private cars. Passive air samplers were fixed inside the selected cars for a period of 4 to 6 weeks. SPBDE concentrations (sum of the 10 congeners) ranged between 0.01 and 8.2 ng/m(3) with respective arithmetic and geometric mean concentrations of 0.71 and 0.091 ng/m(3). High concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers found in cars might provide an important source of human exposure to PBDEs either via inhalation or dust ingestion. A driver spending 8 hours a day inside a contaminated car (the worst scenario) would receive a daily inhalation intake of 54 ng. Age of the vehicles was found to be the most influential factor affecting polybrominated diphenyl ether emission in car interiors (R=0.47, r