Office
ID / Ventilation
System / No of desk top computers / Printer / padded chairs with foam / Floor type / Remark
OD1 / 1Fan +3ACU / 4 / 3 / 0 / Plastic tile / Postgraduate office
OD2 / natural / 40 / 10 / 10 / ceramic / Office & Store for electronic
OD3 / 1 ACU per each / at least 1 per each / 1 per each / 2 / 80% Carpet & 20 % ceramic tiles (CT) / from 20 offices building 6
OD4 / 1 fan per each / 1 per each office / 1 / 2 per each office / Carpet / from 15 offices, building 5
OD5 / 1 ACU per each / at least 1 per each office / 1 per each office / 2 per each office / 70% Carpet & 30% ceramic / from 26 offices: building 3and 4
OD6 / 1 ACU per each / 1 per each office / 1 per each office / 2 per each office / Carpet / from 20 offices: building 3 and 4

Table S1: Summary of office characteristics at the time of dust collection

ACU = Air conditioning unit; OD1, OD2 and OD5 dusts were collected from Arcadia campus, OD3, OD4 and OD6 from main campus of TUT)

Table S2: Summary of house characteristics at the time of dust collection

House ID / computers / Printer / Floor type / TV / Tape recorder / DVD/VCD / Kitchen app. / Refrigerator / ventilation / sofa
HD1 / 2 / 1 / Carpet / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 Fan / yes
HD2 / 0 / 0 / Ceramic / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 Fan / No
HD3 / 1 / 1 / Carpet / 1 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 1 Fan / yes
HD4 / 2 / 0 / Carpet / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 Fan / yes
HD5 / 1 / 1 / Carpet / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 Fan / yes
HD6 / 0 / 0 / Carpet / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 Fan / yes
HD7 / 1 / 0 / Carpet / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 Fan / yes
HD8 / 1 / 0 / Carpet / 1 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 1 Fan / yes
BFRs / RT / M/z / Q1 / Q2 / BFRs / RT / M/Z / Q1 / Q2
BB-1 / 5.77 / 232 / 234 / 152 / BB-103 / 9.12 / 548 / 469 / 326
BB-2 / 6.19 / 232 / 234 / 152 / BDE-66 / 9.23 / 486 / 326 / 484
BDE-3 / 6.27 / 248 / 250 / 141 / BDE-77 / 9.42 / 486 / 484 / 326
BB-4 / 6.61 / 312 / 310 / 152 / BB-155 / 9.80 / 628 / 469 / 310
BB-10 / 6.62 / 312 / 310 / 152 / BDE-100 / 9.82 / 564 / 406 / 404
BDE-15 / 7.39 / 328 / 312 / 152 / BDE-99 / 10.11 / 564 / 406 / 404
BB-15 / 7.42 / 312 / 310 / 152 / BDE-85 / 10.78 / 564 / 406 / 404
BB-30 / 7.51 / 390 / 392 / 230 / BDE-126 / 10.85 / 564 / 566 / 404
BB-26 / 7.82 / 390 / 392 / 230 / BDE-154 / 11.08 / 644 / 484 / 308
BB-29 / 7.83 / 390 / 392 / 232 / BB-153 / 11.08 / 628 / 549 / 468
BB-31 / 7.90 / 390 / 392 / 232 / BDE-153 / 11.67 / 644 / 484 / 482
BDE-17 / 8.15 / 406 / 248 / 246 / LBDE-139 / 12.03 / 656 / 496 / 576
BDE-28 / 8.17 / 406 / 248 / 246 / BDE-138 / 12.74 / 644 / 484 / 482
BB-38 / 8.28 / 390 / 392 / 230 / BDE-183 / 14.04 / 723 / 562 / 484
BB-49 / 8.41 / 470 / 390 / 310 / BB-209 / 12.96* / 944 / 784 / 624
BB-80 / 9.00 / 470 / 310 / 470 / BDE-209 / 15.64* / 959.4 / 799.5 / 399.7
BDE-47 / 9.15 / 486 / 484 / 326 / LBDE-209 / 15.64* / 971.2 / 812 / 406

Table S3: Retention time, molecular ion, additional two qualifier ions used for identification of 31 BFRs and 3 internal standards

RT- Retention time, M/Z mass of molecular ions monitored, Q1 and Q2 are mass of qualifier ion 1 &2 monitored for confirmation, *analysed on ZB-5 column (15 m, 0.25 mm ID, 0.1 µm df) , LBDE = labelled bromodiphenyl ether

BDE-77 was used for the quantification of all the congeners except the one quantified by 13C12-BDE-139 and 13C12-BDE-209.

LBDE-139 = 13C12-BDE-139 used for quantification of BB-153, BB-155, BDE-138, 153, 154, and 183

LBDE-209 = 13C12-BDE-209 used for quantification of BB-209 and BDE-209

NB: All bolded molecular or fragmented ions of each congener are with abundance of 100%.

Table S4: Measured and certified concentrations of organic contaminants in house dust “SRM- 2585”

PBDEs congener / Concentration (ng g-1)
Certified / Measured (n = 3) / % Recovery
BDE-17 / 11.5 ± 1.2 / 12.8 ±1.0 / 112 ± 6
BDE-28 / 46.9 ± 4.4 / 51.8 ±1.0 / 111 ± 12
BDE-47 / 497 ± 46 / 451.6 ±3.0 / 92 ± 11
BDE-66 / 29.5 ± 1.0 / 32.8 ±5.0 / 111 ± 2
BDE-85 / 43.8 ± 1.6 / 45.0 ± 3.0 / 103 ±4
BDE-99 / 892 ± 53 / 803.2 ± 36 / 90 ± 2
BDE-100 / 145 ± 11 / 131.1 ± 13 / 90 ± 3
BDE-138 / 15.2 ± 2.0 / 13.5 ± 2 / 89 ± 2
BDE-153 / 119 ± 1.0 / 120 ± 4 / 101 ± 4
BDE-154 / 83.5 ± 2.0 / 79.1± 8 / 95 ± 10
BDE-183 / 43.0 ± 3.5 / 36.6 ± 4 / 85 ± 3
BDE-209 / 2510 ± 190 / 1960 ±62 / 78± 5

Table S5: Correlation coefficients (Pearson correlation) and p-values (2-tailed) for the various pairs of heavy metals detected in settled home dust

Home / Mn / Fe / Co / Ni / Cu / Zn / Cd / As / Pb
Cr / 0.56*
0.00 / 0.77
0.00 / 0.53
0.001 / -0.13
0.00 / 0.48
0.00 / 0.55
0.001 / 0.39
0.00 / 0.68
0.00 / 0.69
0.63
Mn / 0.61
0.00 / 0.08
0.00 / 0.47
0.01 / 0.63
0.00 / 0.07
0.00 / 0.04
0.00 / 0.08
0.00 / 0.35
0.00
Fe / 0.13
0.00 / -0.33
0.00 / 0.82
0.00 / 0.26
0.00 / 0.35
0.00 / 0.14
0.00 / 0.16
0.00
Co / 0.06
0.00 / 0.26
0.00 / 0.95
0.00 / -0.38
0.00 / 0.91
0.00 / 0.79
0.01
Ni / -0.12
0.00 / -0.06
0.00 / -0.37
0.00 / 0.05
0.00 / 0.34
0.12
Cu / 0.34
0.00 / -0.24
0.00 / 0.03
0.00 / 0.08
0.00
Zn / -0.26
0.00 / 0.84
0.00 / 0.72
0.04
Cd / -0.04
0.03 / -0.01
0.00
As / 0.90
0.00

* each cell contains correlation coefficient and p- value


Table S6: Correlation coefficients (Pearson correlation) and p- value (2- tailed) for the various pairs of heavy metals detected in settled office dust

Office / Mn / Fe / Co / Ni / Cu / Zn / Cd / As / Pb
Cr / -0.77
0.00 / 0.86
0.00 / -0.60
0.01 / 0.93
0.001 / -0.92
0.002 / 0.96
0.01 / 0.66
0.00 / 0.10
0.00 / 0.10
0.32
Mn / -0.95
0.00 / 0.86
0.33 / -0.60
0.35 / 0.79
0.00 / -0.89
0.00 / -0.90
0.00 / -0.62
0.00 / 0.44
0.07
Fe / -0.81
0.00 / 0.67
0.00 / -0.82
0.00 / 0.94
0.00 / 0.91
0.00 / 0.52
0.00 / -0.33
0.01
Co / -0.51
0.72 / 0.77
0.00 / -0.79
0.00 / -0.89
0.00 / -0.44
0.00 / 0.28
0.04
Ni / -0.94
0.00 / 0.86
0.00 / 0.43
0.00 / -0.22
0.00 / 0.42
0.05
Cu / -0.94
0.04 / -0.66
0.00 / -0.02
0.00 / -0.19
0.79
Zn / 0.82
0.00 / 0.28
0.00 / -0.07
0.65
Cd / 0.68
0.00 / -0.53
0.10
As / -0.98
0.01

*each cell contains Pearson correlation and p-value, in the same order in the cell.

Table S7: Correlation coefficients and 2-tailed p-values for various pairs of anions detected from settled office dust

Office / Cl– / NO2– / Br– / NO3– / SO42–
F– / 0.57
0.01 / 0.44
0.01 / 0.28
0.06 / 0.14
0.80 / 0.58
0.00
Cl– / 0.35
0.00 / 0.30
0.00 / -0.34
0.05 / 0.88
0.35
NO2– / -0.32
0.56 / 0.75
0.22 / 0.67
0.00
Br– / -0.38
0.36 / -0.06
0.00
NO3– / 0.06
0.02

Table S8: Correlation coefficients and 2-tailed p- value for various pairs of anions detected in settled home dust

Home / Cl– / NO2– / Br– / NO3– / PO43– / SO42–
F– / 0.29*
0.00 / -0.05
0.06 / 0.63
0.19 / -0.59
0.00 / -0.06
0.75 / 0.00
0.00
Cl– / -0.53
0.00 / -0.23
0.00 / -0.03
0.00 / 0.18
0.00 / -0.27
0.57
NO2– / 0.41
0.59 / 0.21
0.42 / -0.14
0.31 / -0.17
0.00
Br– / -0.10
0.17 / 0.09
0.53 / 0.32
0.00
NO3– / 0.26
0.11 / -0.06
0.00
PO43– / 0.14
0.00

*each cell contains Pearson correlation and p- value, in the same order

Fig. S2: Mass spectra of selected organic contaminants in indoor dust