Functional Group-Dependent Screening of Organophosphate Esters (OPEs) and Discovery of an Abundant OPE Bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-phenyl Phosphate in Indoor Dust

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b07412
• Publication Date: 2020-02-26T15:23:15Z
• Authors: Weikun Meng; Jianhua Li; Jinyou Shen; Yirong Deng; Robert J. Letcher; Guanyong Su
• Keywords: China; 13. Climate action; Dust; Esters; 01 natural sciences; Organophosphates; Environmental Monitoring; Flame Retardants; Phosphates; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; 3. Good health

There is increasing scientific interest in environmental pollution and the effect on public health caused by organophosphate esters (OPEs). Using liquid chromatography coupled to a hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer, novel, robust, untargeted screening strategy for identification of novel OPEs indoor dust samples was presently developed based characteristic molecular fragmentation pathways, 12 previously reported six unrecognized were detected combined extracts samples, collected Nanjing, eastern China. One OPEs, bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-phenyl phosphate (BEHPP), identified comparison unique LC MS characteristics with synthesized pure standard. Accurate concentrations BEHPP determined n = 50 individual 100% detection frequency median concentration range 50–1530 ng/g dry weight, which generally greater or at least comparable traditional that is, triphenyl 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl (EHDPP), same samples. Statistically significant, positive correlations found log-transformed versus EHDPP (r2 0.7884, p < 0.0001), tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate 0.4054, suggesting their similar commercial applications sources environment.