Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42201084›Full record

ArticleJournal of xenobiotics2026

Vehicle Cabins as Hotspots of Brominated Flame Retardants: Legacy-Replacement Profiles, Sources, and Human Exposure in a Hot-Climate Environment.

Muhammad Salman Zeb, Mansour A Alghamdi, Ahmed Summan, Javed Nawab, Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid, Nadeem Ali

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of xenobiotics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Muhammad Salman ZebDepartment of Environment, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0009-4990-8259
Mansour A AlghamdiDepartment of Environment, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-7518-659X
Ahmed SummanDepartment of Environment, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-6142-9749
Javed NawabDepartment of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, University of Swat Charbagh, Charbagh 19120, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Muhammad Imtiaz RashidCenter of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-5178-4445
Nadeem AliCenter of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

King Abdulaziz University IPP: 1294-155-2025
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are widely used in automotive polymers and electronic components, yet vehicles remain an under-characterized and potentially high-exposure microenvironment, particularly in hot climates. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of BFR occurrence, sources, and exposure risks in vehicle dust from Saudi Arabia, addressing a critical regional data gap. This study systematically investigates the occurrence, compositional patterns, sources, and human exposure risks of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and selected alternative BFRs in dust from 80 vehicles (domestic cars and taxis; model years 2015-2022) operating in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dust samples were collected using a standardized vacuuming protocol, extracted and cleaned using solvent extraction and silica SPE, and analyzed via GC-NCI-MS. Both legacy PBDE congeners and emerging alternatives (including DBDPE and TBB) were consistently detected, with BDE-209 dominating the overall BFR burden with mean concentrations of 6560 ng/g in domestic vehicles and 5454 ng/g in taxis, with maximum values reaching 220,860 ng/g. Lower-brominated PBDEs occurred at substantially lower concentrations, reflecting the ongoing global transition away from Penta- and Octa-BDE formulations. Taxis exhibited generally higher concentrations than domestic vehicles, likely due to prolonged occupancy, increased usage intensity, and enhanced dust resuspension dynamics. Multivariate analysis (PCA and correlation) revealed two distinct source categories: (i) legacy Penta-BDE-related congeners associated with polyurethane foam and textile materials and (ii) high-brominated PBDEs and DBDPE linked to hard plastics and electronic components. Human exposure assessment demonstrated that dust ingestion is the dominant exposure pathway, while dermal and inhalation routes contribute minimally. Non-carcinogenic hazard indices (HI) were well below unity for all compounds (HI < 1.67 × 10

Indexed as

brominated flame retardantsDBDPEexposure assessmenthuman health riskPBDEsSaudi Arabiavehicle dust

Identifiers

PMID42201084
PMCPMC13214825

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.