The influence of particle size distribution on DEHP concentrations

Abstract

It is well recognized that particles would enhance SVOC flux between surfaces and bulk air and contribute to inhalation exposure to SVOCs. DEHP are ubiquitous in indoor environment and can be accumulated in indoor particles. It has become widely recognized as a major indoor pollutant. Our objectives are to clarify the further mechanism of the influence of particulate size distribution on DEHP phase distribution and to estimate indoor exposure. A lumped model for predicting instantaneous DEHP concentrations in gas phase, particle phase, dust phase, and surface phase is proposed. In the model, ventilation, penetration, deposition, and resuspension are considered to simulate particle concentrations with different size distributions including dust. A relationship between particle/air partition coefficient and particulate diameters is defined by the model. Five typical size distributions of particles in the literature are adopted for particle concentration simulation. The simulated results show an obvious difference of indoor concentrations in various phases for the different particle size distributions. The results imply a possible strategy to control various phase DEHP concentrations and exposures. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.