Flame retardants in the indoor environment. Part V

Organophosphate esters are frequently applied as flame retardants in building products and other materials for indoor use. Using as example automobile interiors, the present study deals with the sampling, analysis procedures and assessment of this group of substances. Within the framework of standardized test stand investigations it was determined that for eight new vehicles clearly measurable concentrations of organophosphate esters can be present in the indoor air of the vehicle particularly at extreme climatic boundary conditions (air temperature 65°C; air exchange around 1 h-1). However, under travelling conditions from the beginning no relevant concentration of organophosphate esters could be demonstrated due to the occurrence of high air exchange rates. The concentrations of organophosphate esters arising during travelling were all below the recommended guideline value for indoor rooms of 5 µg/m3 by at least a factor of 10.