High levels of flame retardants in vehicle dust indicate ongoing use of brominated and organophosphate flame retardants in vehicle interiors

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F25%3A00140971" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/25:00140971 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-025-13822-z" target="_blank" >https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-025-13822-z</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10661-025-13822-z" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10661-025-13822-z</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

High levels of flame retardants in vehicle dust indicate ongoing use of brominated and organophosphate flame retardants in vehicle interiors

Original language description

Vehicles are unique indoor environments, with interiors dominated by plastic/synthetic materials and exposure to extremes of temperature and radiation, leading to substantial potential for emissions of plastic additives from vehicle materials and subsequent exposure to drivers and passengers. Flame retardants (FRs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were measured in 30 dust samples collected from dashboards, seats, and trunks of cars of the same make and model (year of manufacture 1996-2021) to evaluate levels in dust and time patterns in additive use across cars of different ages. PFAS were detected in all dust samples at low levels, while FRs were detected in all samples, with some compounds consistently exceeding mu g/g levels, especially tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), substantially higher than in other indoor environments. Although cars were of the same model, large variations were observed in FR concentrations in dust between cars, emphasizing the challenge in generalizing FR exposures from vehicle dust. Concentrations of BDE-209 in vehicle dust did not decrease over the 1996-2021 period, suggesting that restrictions on DecaBDE have had limited impact, likely due to exemptions in regulations for the automotive industry. The high FR levels indicate ongoing use of both organophosphate and brominated FRs in vehicles on the European market, although flammability standards for interior car materials are not mandated by European regulations, and the continued presence of long-restricted FRs suggests the presence of recycled plastics in vehicles; this potential exposure source may be increasing as vehicle producers aim to improve material circularity.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Project

—

Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

ISSN

0167-6369

e-ISSN

1573-2959

Volume of the periodical

197

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

17

Pages from-to

1-17

UT code for WoS article

001447742900001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105000202425