Mass spectrometric determination of tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)-phosphate (TDCP) using NCI-technique

A number of different products suspected to contain flame retardants were analysed. TDCP was found in 11 out of 104 samples. It was most common in polyurethane products such as sound absorbing materials and liners for cars and buses. To get an integrated picture of TDCP exposure the contents of vacuum cleaner bags from two homes were analysed. One of these contained TDCP. To investigate possible presence in humans, blood samples were analysed. For clean-up, Sep-Pak cartridges with C18 phase were used. These cartridges contained TDCP and it was not possible to eliminate this background entirely. The NCIMS detection sensitivity for TDCP was better when analysing plasma extracts than when analysing pure standard solutions. Thus quantitative determinations of TDCP must be made by standard additions to plasma extracts. Something in the blood plasma seems to be able to bind or immobilise a certain amount of TDCP. Therefore it was not possible to analyse amounts less than 600 pg/ml whole blood with this method. None of the 37 analysed blood samples exceeded this value.