Occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls in indoor dust of different buildings in Bushehr port, Iran

Dust is a main source of different indoor contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) generally applied in buildings. This study is the first report on the levels of PCBs in the indoor dust of Bushehr port, Iran. PCBs were evaluated in 30 dust samples collected from homes, offices, and stores. A total of 10 PCB congeners were found in dust samples. The mean levels of PCBs in homes, offices, and stores were 3.46, 0.51, and 1.28 ng/g, respectively. PCB52 and 31 in homes with values of 0.78 and 0.31 ng/g had the highest levels of PCB congeners. Also, no significant difference was detected among the PCB contents of buildings with different applications in Bushehr. Furthermore, PCBs in indoor dust showed acceptable cancer risk (CR) for different age groups. Most CR was observed for infants and toddlers at homes and stores thorough dust ingestion as the main exposure route to PCBs in dust. Based on the results of this research, exposure to PCBs in indoor buildings may cause a high risk for people of different ages.