Work

Legacy and emerging plasticizer profiles in kindergarten classrooms: innovative source identification and exposure assessment

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: , respectively). Indoor surfaces (e.g., desks and chairs) acted as important reservoirs of plasticizers, where frequent child contact (>50 times/h) disturbed air-surface equilibrium while simultaneously facilitating proportional redistribution of plasticizers across surfaces. Additionally, source attribution using a novel in-situ screening method identified flooring and beds as primary contributors (27%-59%), with walls and curtains also showing unexpectedly high contributions (up to 29%). Finally, exposure doses were calculated across four pathways: inhalation, dermal absorption, dust ingestion, and surface-to-hand-to-mouth contact. Notably, the often-overlooked surface-to-hand-to-mouth pathway was identified as an important pathway for low-volatility plasticizers, and even the dominant pathway for certain emerging compounds, which warrants further investigations. These findings support effective mitigation strategies: removal or avoidance of source materials represents the most direct approach to reducing indoor plasticizer, and more frequent cleaning of high-contact surfaces may further reduce children's exposure.

Source: Environment International

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109980