Phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers and bisphenols in Swedish preschool dust in relation to children's exposure

TLDR

Children are exposed to many chemicals in everyday settings, including preschools. The study measured phthalate, non‑phthalate plasticizer, and bisphenol levels in dust from 100 Swedish preschools to identify key indoor exposure factors. Urine analyses were used to quantify children’s total exposure, compare it with dust levels, and assess changes relative to samples collected fifteen years earlier. DiNP and DEHP were the most abundant dust plasticizers (450 and 266 µg/g), substitute plasticizers were higher in newer preschools, DnBP higher in older ones, and foam mattresses and PVC flooring raised DiNP levels; dust ingestion exposure was below health reference values and contributed 2–27 % of total exposure, while urinary BPA and regulated phthalate metabolites were lower than fifteen years earlier but DiNP metabolites were higher.

Abstract

Children are exposed to a wide range of chemicals in their everyday environments, including the preschool. In this study, we evaluated the levels of phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers and bisphenols in dust from 100 Swedish preschools and identified important exposure factors in the indoor environment. In addition, children's total exposure to these chemicals was determined by urine analysis to investigate their relation with dust exposure, and to explore the time trends by comparing with children who provided urine fifteen years earlier. The most abundant plasticizers in preschool dust were the phthalates di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) with geometric mean levels of 450 and 266μg/g dust, respectively, and the non-phthalate plasticizers bis(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT) and diisononylcyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DiNCH) found at 105 and 73μg/g dust, respectively. The levels of several substitute plasticizers were higher in newer preschools, whereas the levels of the strictly regulated phthalate di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) were higher in older preschools. The presence of foam mattresses and PVC flooring in the sampling room were associated with higher levels of DiNP in dust. Children's exposure from preschool dust ingestion was below established health based reference values and the estimated exposure to different phthalates and BPA via preschool dust ingestion accounted for 2-27% of the total exposure. We found significantly lower urinary levels of BPA and metabolites of strictly regulated phthalates, but higher levels of DiNP metabolites, in urine from the children in this study compared to the children who provided urine samples fifteen years earlier.