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Polar organic chemicals in indoor depositions from Italian hospitals during the CoViD-19 outbreak
Summary
Italian researchers analyzed dust collected inside hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic and found it contained a mix of chemicals from plastics (like phthalates, often used to make products flexible), flame retardants, and even traces of nicotine and cocaine — with levels shifting over the pandemic's course. This matters because hospital workers breathe in and absorb small amounts of these chemicals daily, and some, like phthalates, have been linked to hormone disruption, meaning indoor air quality in healthcare settings deserves more attention alongside outdoor pollution concerns.
Few studies were focused on pollution in hospitals and on dusts (DD) affecting their interiors. Moreover, no investigations were performed in Italian hospitals on DD-associated organic compounds. From 2019 to 2023, we conducted four measurement campaigns aimed at elucidating chemical composition of indoor DD from three Italian hospitals during the CoViD-19 outbreak course. In 2021, measurements were undertaken at another hospital hosting a vaccine hub. Parallel measurements were performed at a university and a private dwelling, and in 2022-2023 included outdoor DDs. Ultrasonic extraction, column chromatography and GC-MSD were applied to characterize DD. This paper focuses on polar organic compounds (POCs). Primary attention was paid to phthalate esters, psychotropic substances, bisphenol-A, alkyl phenols, organic phosphates, UV filters, and fragrances. Their concentration levels, molecular fingerprints, time trends and indoor/outdoor relationships were elucidated. All compounds exhibited wide changes of DD loads during outbreak. Phthalates ranged <0.1 to >13 mg/g of dust, declining with time, organic phosphates ranged <0.03-0.3 mg/g, declining up to 2022 and raising again in 2023. At hospitals, nicotine and cocaine ranged <2.0-45 μg/g and ∼5-65 μg/g, respectively, raising from 2019 to 2023. Emerging organic contaminants (including fatty acid esters and plasticizers) were evaluated, while new chemicals, e.g. indigo, seemed linked to CoViD-19 outbreak course. Internal sources and the rate of people frequentation presumably caused the peculiarity of DD composition at hospitals vs. dwelling and university, and to higher loads observed indoors. DD-related non-dietary daily intake by hospital workers ranged ∼1-100 μg for phthalates and ∼0.1-10 μg for organic phosphates.