Analysis of pollution status and influencing factors of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in household dust in five cities in northern China

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the pollution levels and influencing factors of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in household dust in five cities in northern China. Methods: Based on the "Chinese Indoor Environment and Health Surveillance" project carried out by the National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2018-2019, during the warm season (April 2018 to September 2018) and the cold season (November 2018 to March 2019), Lanzhou in Northwest China, Shijiazhuang in North China, Panjin in Northeast China, Luoyang in Central China, and Qingdao in East China were selected as the research sites. A total of 87 families were recruited to study residences in real-life scenarios. At the same time, dust samples were collected to detect the concentration of PBDEs. The level of household environmental indicators was measured, and the residential building characteristics and family behavior habits were collected through questionnaires. A total of 142 valid dust samples and 140 valid questionnaires were obtained. The differences in PBDE concentrations across seasons, wind zones, residential building characteristics, and family habits were analyzed. The exploratory factor analysis was performed to investigate the possible sources of PBDEs, and multivariate linear regression was used to explore the factors influencing PBDEs in household dust. Results: The M (Q1, Q3) of total PBDE concentrations in 142 household dust samples in five cities was 144.51 (106.61, 222.65) ng/g in the warm season and 145.10 (98.57, 180.65) ng/g in the cold season, respectively. There were seasonal differences in the concentration of ∑12PBDEs in Luoyang and Shijiazhuang (P<0.01). The concentration of BDE-71 was highest among PBDE homologues, followed by BDE-66 and BDE-47. Three factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis in the warm season, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 67.90%. The multivariate linear regression showed that the house completion less than ten years [β (95%CI): 0.186 (0.013, 0.359)], infrequent home cooking [β (95%CI):-0.342 (-0.570, -0.114)], and increased residential PM10 concentration [β (95%CI): 0.001 (0.000, 0.002)] during the warm season, as well as the house far from driveway [β (95%CI): 0.093 (0.013, 0.172)], house area less than 90 m2 [β (95%CI):-0.138 (-0.264, -0.013)], and lower residential xylene concentration [β (95%CI):-0.006 (-0.011, -0.001)] during the cold season might be related to the elevated concentrations of ∑12PBDEs in household dust. Conclusion: The pollution of PBDEs in household dust in five northern cities is at a medium to high level. Years of house completion, frequency of cooking at home, residential PM10 concentration, distance from house to driveway, house area, and residential xylene concentration may influence household PBDE concentrations.