Measurement and Modeling of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in the Indoor Environment

• Main Author: Zhang, Xianming
• Other Authors: Diamond, Miriam L.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: PBDEs; PCBs; Indoor Environment; Modeling; Measurement; 0768
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/17239

The indoor environment is a potentially dominant source of exposure for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This thesis describes a study on levels, sources, emissions, and fate of PBDEs and PCBs indoors. PBDEs and PCBs air levels in 20 indoor environments in Toronto were sampled and measured. The geometric means of PBDE (Σ10BDE) and PCB (Σ35PCB) concentrations were 0.072 and 7.2 ng m-3 respectively. Statistical analysis on chemical profiles distinguished the chemical sources in the 20 environments. A multimedia indoor environmental model was applied on two test rooms. Estimated PBDE and PCB emission rates were 5.4-550 ng h-1 and 280-5870 ng h-1 respectively. Particle movement dominates within-room transport processes, and dust removal and air advection are the main chemical loss processes. Temperature, particle concentration and deposition velocity, and air exchange rate are the most influential parameters, which can alter source or sink behaviors of household products for the chemicals.