Assessment of human exposure to Bisphenol-A, Triclosan and Tetrabromobisphenol-A through indoor dust intake in Belgium

Bisphenol-A (BPA), Triclosan (TCS) and Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) are phenolic organic contaminants used in a variety of household applications. Through manufacture and usage, these contaminants can leach into the environment and can be detected in indoor dust. In this study, we determined the concentrations of BPA, TCS and TBBPA in indoor dust samples from 18 houses and 2 offices in Flanders, Belgium. The analysis was performed using solid–liquid extraction, clean-up and measurement by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Median concentrations of the 18 domestic dust samples were 1460, 220 and 10 ng g−1 dust for BPA, TCS and TBBPA, respectively. Concentrations in offices were almost 5–10 times higher for BPA and TBBPA, while TCS concentrations were comparable at both locations. An assessment of the daily intake of these contaminants through dust was made and the contribution of dust to the total human exposure was calculated. For all three contaminants, dust seems to be a minor contributor (<10% of total exposure) to the total daily exposure. Food intake appears to be the major source of human exposure to BPA and TBBPA as dermal uptake through personal care products seems to be the major contributor for TCS.