Occurrence and levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in house dust and hair samples from Northern Poland; an assessment of human exposure

• The concentrations of PBDEs found in dust samples ranged from • The levels of PBDEs measured in human hair samples were between • BDE-209 was the dominating congener found in dust and human hair samples.
• The estimated exposure to PBDEs ranged from 3.7 to 92 ng d−1 in toddlers and adults.
• High correlation for levels of PBDE-28 and -47 in paired dust and hair samples was reported.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are among most ubiquitous compounds to be found in indoor environment and ingestion of household dust is considered an important route of exposure to PBDEs, especially in toddlers and young children. The present work reported concentration levels of PBDE congeners (PBDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, -154, -183 and -209) in hair and dust samples from selected households from Northern Poland. The concentrations of PBDEs in dust ranged from