Carpets, dust pollutants

Studies of the source of exposure to PFCs have rarely been conducted. Thus, studies of the source of contamination with PFC, the source of exposure, the difihision path, the accumulated form, and toxicity are necessary. Currently, environmental contaminant of PFCs were mainly reported in polluted mud, ° environmental water, ° and atmosphere. However, the concentrations of detected PFCs are extremely low, and it is not sufficient to evaluate them as an exposure source. Therefore, we focused on house and carpet dust, ° which exists in our daily lives and contains many chemicals, to clarify the source of e xisure to PFCs, and discussed a highly sensitive and accurate method for the analysis of PFCs in house and carpet dust. The analytes were PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS, which are frequently detected in human blood, and surrogate standards were C4-PFOS and Cx-PFOA. The supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method was used for house and carpet dust. Effective extraction is expected when supercritical liquid is used as the extraction solvent, as the elution ability of supercritical liquid is similar to that of conventional liquid and supercritical fluid can permeate every comer of the sample, as air does. 

Camann DE, Hsu JP, Fortmann RC, Roberts JW, Lewis RG (1991) Association between measured pesticide levels in indoor air and carpet dust in the home. In Measurement of Toxic and Related Air Pollutants. Air and Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, pp 1113-1119. 

An example of the first type of membrane separator is your everyday vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners work by taking in air laden with dust from your carpet. A filter inside the vacuum then traps the dust particles (which are relatively large) and allows the air to pass through it (since air particles are relatively small). A larger-scale operation that works on the same principle is called a fabric filter or "Baghouse", which is used in air pollution control or other applications where a solid must be removed from a gas. 

House dust in carpets, on sofas, and in air ducts is both a major source and sink of pollutants in the home (Roberts et al. 1994). The lead on surfaces and the lead loading in a carpet (/igPb/m ) are the best predictors of a toddler s blood lead (Davies et al. 1990 Hilts 1994). Dust in carpets can also be a major source of exposure to pesticides and allergens (Lewis et al. 1994 Pope et al. 1993). We believe, but have only partially confirmed, that house dust is also a major source of childhood exposure for PAHs, PCBs, and other persistent pollutants. 

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