Characterization and sources of childhood PAEs exposure from residential airborne dust in China cities

To explore the multicenter characteristics of endocrine-like phthalate esters (PAEs) in household dust and propose effective control strategies for global indoor public health. An on-site observational investigation was conducted in nine Chinese cities from 2018 to 2019. A total of 246 household dust samples were collected and analyzed for ten PAE congeners using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Questionnaires were used to gather information on building conditions, indoor behaviors, and ventilation habits. In residential dust from the nine cities, the total concentrations of the ten PAE congeners (∑PAEs) ranged from 0.921 to 29097.297 µg/g. Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were the dominant congeners in ∑PAEs. Childhood exposure to PAEs through dust ingestion was four orders of magnitude higher than through inhalation, with a carcinogenic risk of 5.47 × 10⁻⁶ for DEHP exposure in household dust. Higher ∑PAEs concentrations were associated with higher temperature, double glazing, wall paint usage, television and computer use, and indoor plant growth. This multicenter on-site investigation confirmed PAE pollution characteristics and uncovered the inacceptable risk of daily DEHP exposure in household dust under real living conditions. Effective mitigation measures based on household-related information, residential characteristics, decoration materials, and lifestyle should be taken to build a healthy household environment.