Exposure to flame retardant chemicals on commercial airplanes

Environmental Health

Research

Michael D McClean¹  Heather M Stapleton²  Joseph G Allen³  Jose Vallarino³  Eileen McNeely³  John D Spengler³  Stuart J Harrad⁴  Cassandra B Rauert⁴ 

[1] Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA;Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC, USA;Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA;University of Birmingham, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Birmingham, UK;

关键词: Flame retardants;    Airplanes;    Dust exposure;    Hand-wipe samples;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1476-069X-12-17

 received in 2012-10-02, accepted in 2013-02-04,  发布年份 2013

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundFlame retardant chemicals are used in materials on airplanes to slow the propagation of fire. These chemicals migrate from their source products and can be found in the dust of airplanes, creating the potential for exposure.MethodsTo characterize exposure to flame retardant chemicals in airplane dust, we collected dust samples from locations inside 19 commercial airplanes parked overnight at airport gates. In addition, hand-wipe samples were also collected from 9 flight attendants and 1 passenger who had just taken a cross-country (USA) flight. The samples were analyzed for a suite of flame retardant chemicals. To identify the possible sources for the brominated flame retardants, we used a portable XRF analyzer to quantify bromine concentrations in materials inside the airplanes.ResultsA wide range of flame retardant compounds were detected in 100% of the dust samples collected from airplanes, including BDEs 47, 99, 153, 183 and 209, tris(1,3-dichloro-isopropyl)phosphate (TDCPP), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromo-phthalate (TBPH). Airplane dust contained elevated concentrations of BDE 209 (GM: 500 ug/g; range: 2,600 ug/g) relative to other indoor environments, such as residential and commercial buildings, and the hands of participants after a cross-country flight contained elevated BDE 209 concentrations relative to the general population. TDCPP, a known carcinogen that was removed from use in children’s pajamas in the 1970’s although still used today in other consumer products, was detected on 100% of airplanes in concentrations similar to those found in residential and commercial locations.ConclusionThis study adds to the limited body of knowledge regarding exposure to flame retardants on commercial aircraft, an environment long hypothesized to be at risk for maximum exposures due to strict flame retardant standards for aircraft materials. Our findings indicate that flame retardants are widely used in many airplane components and all airplane types, as expected. Most flame retardants, including TDCPP, were detected in 100% of dust samples collected from the airplanes. The concentrations of BDE 209 were elevated by orders of magnitude relative to residential and office environments.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Allen et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2013