Comprehensive method for the analysis of multi-class organic micropollutants in indoor dust

In the last decades, there has been an increasing concern about the human exposure to indoor dust because it has been observed that its contact or ingestion represents an important exposure source to several contaminants. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of multi pollutants in indoor dust. Therefore, an efficient multi-residue analytical method based on gas chromatography-electron ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS/MS) was developed for the quantitative determination of 59 pollutants in house dust. The studied compounds belong to different families which have been reported as dangerous due to their possible effects for human health (endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, mucosa-irritating effects, etc.). They are plasticisers, pesticides, flame retardants or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and reflect compounds used in construction materials, domestic goods or coming from outdoor air accumulation in indoor environments. The optimised methodology was simple, reliable and sensitive and was tested to evaluate the presence of contaminants in house dust samples collected in the area of Barcelona (Spain). Among all compounds studied, 54 contaminants were detected, being phthalates the group of compounds encountered at the highest concentrations, followed by organophosphorus flame retardants and bisphenol A.