Estimating indoor semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) associated with settled dust by an integrated kinetic model accounting for aerosol dynamics

Due to their low vapor pressure, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) can absorb onto other compartments in indoor environments, including settled dust. Incidental ingestion of settled dust-bound SVOCs contributes to the majority of daily non-dietary exposure to some SVOCs by human beings. With this pathway in mind, an integrated kinetic model to estimate indoor SVOC was developed to better predict the mass-fraction of SVOC associated with settled dust, which is important to accurately assess the non-dietary ingestion exposure to SVOC. In this integrated kinetic model, the aerosol dynamics were considered, including particle penetration, deposition and resuspension. The newly developed model was evaluated by comparing the predicted mass-fraction of SVOC associated with the settled dust (Xdust) and the measured Xdust from previous studies. Sixty Xdust values of thirty-eight different SVOCs measured in residences located in seven countries from four continents were involved in the model evaluation. The Xdust value predicted by the integrated kinetic model correlated linearly with the measured Xdust: y = 0.93x + 0.09 (R2 = 0.73), which indicates that the predicted Xdust by the integrated kinetic model are in good match with the measured data. This model may be utilized to predict SVOC concentrations in different indoor compartments, including dust-bound SVOC.