Use of Passive Samplers for Estimating the Exposure to Household Chemicals: A Critical Review

Increased use of diverse consumer products generates many chemicals of potential health concerns. For monitoring personal exposure to those chemicals, passive samplers are inexpensive methods for assessing time-weighted average exposure. This review summarizes the application of passive sampling methods for assessing exposure to hazardous chemicals released from consumer products in indoor environments, discussing the principles of passive sampling, various sampler types, and their effectiveness in monitoring different classes of pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi–volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), and reactive substances. Challenges associated with calibration and validation for specific chemicals are addressed. The review highlights the potential of passive sampling as a cost-effective tool for large-scale monitoring and emphasizes the need for future research to develop advanced techniques, such as miniaturized multianalyte and time-resolved samplers, to achieve comprehensive exposure assessments including transformation products and capture complex indoor air pollution dynamics.