Supercritical fluid extraction of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from house dust with supercritical 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a)

The extraction of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from SRM 2585 (Organic Contaminants in House Dust) was investigated using supercritical fluid R134a as an extraction solvent. Three methods of dust extraction were studied: (1) extraction of dry dust, (2) extraction of dry dust dispersed on Ottawa sand and (3) extraction of dust wet with dichloromethane. For each of the three sample preparation methods, extracts at three temperatures (110, 150, and 200 °C) above the critical temperature of R134a were performed. Eight PBDE congeners (BDE-28, -47, -99, 100, -153, -154, -183, and -209) in the SFE extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography negative-ion atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/NI-APPI/MS/MS). The optimum extraction of PBDEs from house dust using supercritical R134a is obtained when the dust is pre-wet with dichloromethane prior to extraction to swell the dust. For all sample preparation methods, higher temperatures afforded higher percent recoveries of the eight PBDE congeners. Only a combination of high-temperature (200 °C) and pre-wetting the dust with dichloromethane produced high recovery of the environmentally important, fully brominated PBDE congener, BDE-209.