| dc.description.abstract |
While increased attention has focused on human exposure to flame retardant chemical
additives in residential settings, little attention has focused on exposure and health
risks in health care settings. More stringent flammability standards in these settings
may result in increased use and exposure to these potentially toxic compounds in vulnerable
populations including sick patients, the elderly, children and pregnant women. The
goal of this project was to collect more information on the use and potential exposure
to flame retardant chemicals in health care environments. To accomplish this goal,
manufacturers of health care products were surveyed for information about the construction
of their products and application of flame retardant chemicals. In addition, chemical
analyses were conducted on both samples of furniture foam and indoor dust samples
collected from hospitals as a means of estimating potential exposure and risks to
hazardous flame retardants. Very few companies responded to the survey, resulting
in limited responses, therefore, more focus was placed on chemical analyses in samples
of healthcare products and hospital dust particles. Flame retardant chemicals were
detected and quantified in 7 furniture products including a hospital sofa, patient
beds and a baby bed. Several different flame retardant chemicals were also detected
and quantified in 22 dust samples from 15 different hospitals. The range of total
polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations in dust samples was 1,080 to 75,800
ng/g dry dust and the total organophosphate flame retardants (OPFR) concentrations
ranged from 2,290 to 108,000 ng/g dry dust. On average, the levels of OPFR in hospital
dust were equivalent to reported levels in residential dust samples while the levels
of PBDEs and a newer-use flame retardant commercial mixture, Firemaster® 550 (FM 550),
in hospital dust was higher than reported in residential environments. Estimates of
exposure were made based on these measured concentrations and US EPA human dust ingestion
data. Based on these findings, exposure to flame retardant chemicals in health care
settings could be higher for vulnerable and sick populations, and suggests further
research may be needed to assess potential health risks.
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