Implementation of a novel approach for identifying unknown potentially harmful substances in dust

The purpose of the project is to develop a novel approach for the identification of unknown halogenated chemicals in indoor dust. This will be done using so-called non-target analysis. In the modern society, humans are exposed to a wide range of different chemicals via indoor air and dust. Examples of such chemicals are brominated flame retardants used in electronics, and fluorinated substances (commonly known as PFAS) in water repellant fabrics. Exactly what chemicals humans are exposed to are not known and since they could be harmful to human health, methods are needed to identify them. The ultimate goal of the project is to contribute to the identification of previously unknown chemicals, so that proper risk assessment can be performed, and if necessary, restrictions can be legislated.