Persistent organic pollutants on human and sheep hair and comparison with POPs in indoor and outdoor air

Abstract

This study compared the concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in air derived from polyurethane-based passive samplers to those of hair samples collected from humans and sheep. Human scalp hair samples were obtained from 24 healthy individuals and ten sheep (Ovis aries) during indoor and outdoor polyurethane foam plug ambient sampling. The samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). ∑PBDE concentrations ranged 0.6-50 ng·g^-1 (mean, 18.6 ± 13 ng·g^-1) for humans and 0.6-1.4 ng·g^-1 (mean, 1.1 ± 0.25 ng·g^-1) for sheep. The ∑PAH concentrations were log-normally distributed in human hair ranging 98-2529 ng·g^-1 (mean, 460 ± 538 ng·g^-1), whereas concentrations for sheep hair samples ranged 168-526 ng·g^-1 (mean, 334 ± 117 ng·g^-1). Strong correlations (P-values < 0.01) were found between concentrations of PAHs and PBDEs in human and sheep hair with concentrations measured in indoor and outdoor air, respectively. Evidence generated from this preliminary study suggests that hair might be used for the environmental monitoring of POPs in remote sites to provide a first-order estimate of ambient levels. Further studies are required to understand the uptake profiles and validate the use of hair as a sampling medium for POPs in ambient air.

Keywords

Indoor air / outdoor air / hair / PBDE / PAHs

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