Chlorkresol (4-Chlor-3-methylphenol) im Hausstaub: Ergebnisse eines repräsentativen Monitorings

The indoor environment may be contaminated with numerous organic chemicals. Gaseous as well as volatile contaminants are mainly found in indoor air, whereas semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds are bound to house dust representing a sink and reservoir. Quite many data are available on the occurrence of biocides, plasticisers, flame retardants and heavy metals in house dust, but no evaluation has been performed regarding chlorocresol. Despite its sensitising properties chlorocresol (4-chloro-3-methylphenol, p-chloro-m-cresol, PCMC) is used as a bactericide; regarding the preservation of leather it is utilised as a substitute for pentachlorophenol which was banned in 1989. Results for a systematic analysis of chlorocresol concentrations in house dust samples are presented. Samples were collected using commercial vacuum cleaners. Concentrations in house dust are similar to those of pentachlorophenol. The 95. percentile regarding the 8 63-μm-fraction of the house dust samples was 6.1 mg/kg (n=286) the median 0.98 mg/kg, respectively. Results were studied in relation to selected attributes of the households and types of habitation. But differences in chlorocresol concentrations regarding these characteristics could not be detected. Thus unambiguous sources for the residues of chlorocresol in the indoor environment still have to be uncovered.