Identification and determination of hexachlorocyclopentadienyl-dibromocyclooctane (HCDBCO) in residential indoor air and dust: A previously unreported halogenated flame retardant in the environment

Hexachlorocyclopentadienyl-dibromocyclooctane (HCDBCO, CAS 51936-55-1) has been detected in residential indoor air and indoor dust in Ottawa, Canada. The positive identification of the chemical was based on the interpretation of the mass spectra of the chemical obtained under both electron impact and negative chemical ionization operation modes, as well as through the synthesis of this chemical. This is the first report on the presence of HCDBCO in the environment. Although the levels of HCDBCO in indoor dust, with a geometric mean of 2.7 ng g(-1) and a median of 2.0 ng g(-1) respectively, are generally low compared to those of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechlorane plus, another recently detected flame retardant, high levels of HCDBCO were detected in several dust samples with a maximum level of 93,000 ng g(-1) which is 16 times higher than the maximum level of the structurally related dechlorane plus. On the other hand, levels of HCDBCO in indoor air, with a geometric mean of 70 pg m(-3) and a median of 92 pg m(-3), were higher than those of the major PBDE congeners. The maximum level of HCDBCO found in indoor air was 3000 pg m(-3). Structurally, HCDBCO belongs to a group of norbornane based halogenated flame retardants. The presence of HCDBCO in the indoor environment may raise awareness of the potential release of this and related flame retardants into the environment during the production and usage of products that contain them, and the potential implications of human exposure to these chemicals as people spend the majority of their time indoors in modern society.