Determination of tri-heptabrominated diphenyl ethers in indoor dust by chromatoprobe injection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study describes an analytical method that involves ultrasonication extraction and chromatoprobe injection-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in indoor dust. The chromatoprobe injection technique facilitates direct GC-MS analysis of extracts without additional extraction, fractionation or clean-up steps. The instrument detection limits were from 2.60 to 8.08 pg μL− 1. The calibration curves were linear in concentrations between 0.005 and 0.200 ng μL− 1 with correlation coefficients of 0.9938-0.9996. The method detection limits were from 283 to 955 ng g− 1 and the recoveries were between 74 and 129%. The analytical method was applied in the determination of tri- to heptabrominated diphenyl ethers (BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154 and BDE-183) in indoor dust from workplace environments in a university in the Philippines. BDE-47, BDE-99 and BDE-100 were the main congeners detected in the indoor dust samples. The levels of these PBDEs were within the concentration range of those found in indoor dust in other countries.