Organophosphate esters in tree bark and human hair in Weifang and Yantai, Shandong Province, China: concentrations, profiles and sources

Abstract

Organophosphate ester (OPE) concentrations and distributions in 15 tree bark and 59 human hair samples from Weifang and Yantai (Shandong Province, China) were determined. The total OPE concentrations in tree bark samples from Weifang and Yantai were 16.5 ng/g-78.5 ng/g and 9.34 ng/g-98.6 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. The total OPE concentrations in hair samples from Weifang and Yantai were 54.2 ng/g dw-8450 ng/g dw and 7.26 ng/g dw -13,900 ng/g dw, respectively. Chlorinated OPEs were dominant in the tree bark samples from both Weifang and Yantai. Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP) was the dominant OPE in the hair samples from residents of Weifang and Yantai. Attention should be paid to human exposure to TCEP, which is carcinogenic. The OPE concentrations in human hair were highest for the < 20 years age group. The OPE patterns between the two cities were similar for both tree bark and hair, but the OPE patterns in the tree bark and hair samples from the same place were significantly different. This indicates that the outdoor atmosphere may not be the main source of OPEs in human hair.