Identification of bisphenols and derivatives in greenhouse dust as a potential source for human occupational exposure

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) and alternative bisphenols are widely used in the industrial production of polycarbonates and resin polymers. Adverse effects on human health have been described for BPA and owing to the structural similarity of alternative bisphenols and derivatives, a similar toxicity profile is expectable. Dust can act as a sink for bisphenols owing to the large surface area to mass ratio. Human risk exposure to bisphenols via indoor dust has been widely assessed in the last decade. The environmental conditions inside greenhouses, among other factors, facilitate that chemicals are released from greenhouse building materials to dust. This study aims to explore for the first time the potential of greenhouse dust as a new source of bisphenols for human exposure. For this purpose, a supramolecular solvent-based method was applied to the extraction of twenty-one bisphenols from greenhouse dust, prior to their determination by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Nineteen bisphenols were found in the five greenhouse dust samples analysed, with concentrations ranging from 5275 ng g−1 (BPA) to 0.25 ng g−1 (trichlorobisphenol A). The average daily dose (ADD) via dust ingestion for bisphenol compounds was calculated, in order to estimate the occupational exposure for inadvertent dust ingestion. Despite the calculated ADD value for BPA (47.81 ng kg−1 day−1) being below the tolerable daily intake proposed by EFSA (4·103 ng kg−1 day−1), this value was considerably higher than those previously reported for indoor dust, which brings to light the importance of considering greenhouse dust as bisphenols source of exposure for greenhouse workers.Graphical abstract