House dust investigation

House dust is an indicator system for the determination of the contamination of indoor spaces by semivolatile and nonvolatile compounds.

Wood preservatives, flame retardants, plasticisers, biozides and other contaminants degas slowly and either condense on the dust or migrate into the dust via direct contact with the contaminated furnishings and fixtures. This way, pollutants are distributed over the entire flat or in the entire house.

House dust investigations provide an overview of the range of contaminants in the subject indoor space. They can also reveal contamination stemming from the long-ago application of pesticides by pest controllers, for instance.

PiCA tests house dust samples for e. g.

• biocides
• plasticisers
• flame retardants
• poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
• organotin compounds
• organic wood preservatives