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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis
Published on: July 1, 2017
Organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers in indoor air
Paul C Hartmann1, Daniel Bürgi, Walter Giger
1EAWAG-Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Ueberlandstr. 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. hartmapa@eawag.ch
Abstract:
Analytical methods were developed for a broad range of organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers in indoor air. Screening was performed of various indoor environments at 12 locations in and around Zurich, Switzerland. Method recoveries ranged from 62% for triphenyl phosphate to 100% for tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate. Tris(2-chloro-isopropyl) phosphate was found in the highest concentration (260 ng/m(3)) mainly in cars and furniture stores. Tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate and triphenyl phosphate, both up to 3.4 ng/m(3), were also detected in quantifiable concentrations at several sites. Tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate, tricresyl phosphate and tri(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate were below the limit of quantification in all samples. The results of the risk assessment indicate that the observed concentrations are below the predicted threshold for human health effects.
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