Organophosphorus Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Building and Decoration Materials and Their Potential Burdens in Newly Decorated Houses in China

Organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) have been increasingly used in various building and decoration materials to fulfill fire safety standards since the phasing out of polybrominated diphenyl ethers. We determined OPFR concentrations in the most commonly used building and decoration materials available in local markets and online in China. The OPFR concentrations varied significantly, from 14.78 ng/g (putty powder) to 9649000 ng/g (expanded polystyrene panel (EPS)). Relatively high concentrations of OPFRs were found in foam samples, followed by nonwoven and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wallpaper, PVC pipes, sealing materials, boards, and paints. Low concentrations were found mostly in wall decoration powders, suggesting that no OPFRs had been added to these powders. Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate were the most detected halogenated OPFRs, while tri-n-butyl phosphate and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate were the dominant nonhalogenated OPFRs, implying that they are commonly used in building and decoration materials. The estimated OPFR burden in interior decoration using nonwoven wallpaper was 330- and 2110-fold higher than that using latex paint and diatomite, respectively. The emission periods of OPFRs from nonwoven and PVC wallpaper may be greater than 13 years. We estimated that the total burden of OPFRs for decoration using wallpaper in newly decorated houses in China is ∼63 t/y. Significantly higher concentrations of OPFRs in interior decoration materials, especially nonwoven wallpaper, pose potential health risks to the people using the buildings.