Synthetic musks in ambient and indoor air

Abstract

For the first time, the presence of synthetic musks is confirmed and investigated in air samples. New analytical methods are described developed for the purpose of ultra trace analysis of synthetic musks in low contaminated samples including ambient air. In order to achieve the lowest possible detection limits and avoid sample and laboratory contamination, a rigid quality control/quality assurance program must be followed for the analytical methods of synthetic musks. Standard analytical methods for the determination of persistent organic pollutants (POP) in ambient air were adapted to the need of quantifying synthetic musks. In addition, a new method was developed and applied in a first pilot study for the determination of synthetic musk in Norwegian indoor air. High resolution gas chromatography coupled to low resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/LRMS) was used for the quantification of the Norwegian outdoor and indoor air samples. Considerable levels of synthetic musks found in outdoor air from Kjeller (taken close to the Norwegian capital Oslo) confirm the importance of densely populated human settlements as primary source for synthetic musks. As already found for other matrices, polycyclic musks were dominating the air samples whereas the nitro musks musk xylene and musk ketone were lower concentrated contaminants. Surprisingly high concentrations of synthetic musks were found in Norwegian indoor air samples with the highest concentration values for HHCB and AHTN in the atmosphere of a hairdresser shop (HHCB: 44 ng m-3). Clear differences in the distribution patterns were found for nitro musks in outdoor and indoor air samples. In outdoor air samples, MX was found to contribute with 7-11% to the total synthetic musks burden whereas 0.5-3% only could be related to MX in indoor air. Based on the data presented here, a first assessment of uptake into the human body from the surrounding air was undertaken. For HHCB a 10-40 times higher average uptake was calculated compared to MX.