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Qu Y, Xie D, Liu Y. Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from Human Occupants in a Student Office: Dependence on Ozone Concentration. ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU 2024; 4:3-11. [PMID: 38250339 PMCID: PMC10797682 DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.3c00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Human occupants themselves constitute an important source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor environments through breath and dermal emissions. In order to quantify VOC emissions from occupants under real-world settings, previous indoor observational studies often determined emission factors (i.e., average emission rates per person). However, the values obtained across these studies exhibited large variability, and the causes of this variability still need to be understood. Herein we report 10-day real-time VOC measurements in a university student office, using a proton transfer reaction-quadrupole interface-time-of-flight mass spectrometer. A method was developed to identify VOCs of primary human origin and to quantify the corresponding emission factors, accounting for the dynamically changing occupancy level and ventilation rate in the assessed office. We found that the emission factors of many dermally emitted VOCs strongly increased as the ozone concentration increased from <3 to 10-15 ppb. These VOCs include geranyl acetone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (6-MHO), and C10-C12 saturated aldehydes, which align with characteristic first-generation ozonolysis products of skin oil. The strongest increase occurred for 6-MHO, from 113 to 337 μg/h/p. In comparison, acetone and isoprene, which are primarily emitted from human breath, varied little with the ozone level. In light of this finding, we conducted an integrated analysis of emission factors reported in the literature for two frequently reported species, namely, 6-MHO and decanal. Ozone concentration alone can explain 94-97% of the variation in their emission factors across previous studies, and the best-estimated ozone dependence obtained using the literature data is consistent with those obtained in the current study. These results suggest that the ozone concentration is a key factor regulating emission factors of many dermally emitted VOCs in real indoor environments, which has to be considered when reporting or using the emission factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuekun Qu
- Key
Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control,
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Di Xie
- Key
Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control,
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Yingjun Liu
- Key
Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control,
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
- Center
for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
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2
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Abu Bakar NH, Chiu HY, Urban PL. Mass Specthoscope: A Hand-held Extendable Probe for Localized Noninvasive Sampling of Skin Volatome for Online Analysis. Anal Chem 2023; 95:17143-17150. [PMID: 37935619 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Human skin emits a unique set of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs can be probed in order to obtain physiological information about the individuals. However, extracting the VOCs that emanate from human skin for analysis is troublesome and time-consuming. Therefore, we have developed "Mass Specthoscope"─a convenient tool for rapid sampling and detecting VOCs emitted by human skin. The hand-held probe with a pressurized tip and wireless button enables sampling VOCs from surfaces and their transfer to the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source of quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The system was characterized using chemical standards (acetone, benzaldehyde, sulcatone, α-pinene, and decanal). The limits of detection are in the range from 2.25 × 10-5 to 3.79 × 10-5 mol m-2. The system was initially tested by detecting VOCs emanating from porcine skin spiked with VOCs as well as unspiked fresh and spoiled ham. In the main test, the skin of nine healthy participants was probed with the Mass Specthoscope. The sampling regions included the armpit, forearm, and forehead. Numerous skin-related VOC signals were detected. In the final test, one participant ingested a fenugreek drink, and the participant's skin surface was probed using the Mass Specthoscope hourly during the 8 h period. The result revealed a gradual release of fenugreek-related VOCs from the skin. We believe that this analytical approach has the potential to be used in metabolomic studies and following further identification of disease biomarkers─also in noninvasive diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Hidayat Abu Bakar
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Yi Chiu
- Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, 25 Jingguo Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, 25 Jingguo Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung Shan S. Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Jen Ai Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Pawel L Urban
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
- Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
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3
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Qu Y, Zou Z, Weschler CJ, Liu Y, Yang X. Quantifying Ozone-Dependent Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from the Human Body. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:13104-13113. [PMID: 37610659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c02340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Ozone reactions on human body surfaces produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that influence indoor air quality. However, the dependence of VOC emissions on the ozone concentration has received limited attention. In this study, we conducted 36 sets of single-person chamber experiments with three volunteers exposed to ozone concentrations ranging from 0 to 32 ppb. Emission fluxes from human body surfaces were measured for 11 targeted skin-oil oxidation products. For the majority of these products, the emission fluxes linearly correlated with ozone concentration, indicating a constant surface yield (moles of VOC emitted per mole of ozone deposited). However, for the second-generation oxidation product 4-oxopentanal, a higher surface yield was observed at higher ozone concentrations. Furthermore, many VOCs have substantial emissions in the absence of ozone. Overall, these results suggest that the complex surface reactions and mass transfer processes involved in ozone-dependent VOC emissions from the human body can be represented using a simplified parametrization based on surface yield and baseline emission flux. Values of these two parameters were quantified for targeted products and estimated for other semiquantified VOC signals, facilitating the inclusion of ozone/skin oil chemistry in indoor air quality models and providing new insights on skin oil chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuekun Qu
- Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziwei Zou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Quality Evaluation and Control, Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Charles J Weschler
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Yingjun Liu
- Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
- Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Xudong Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Quality Evaluation and Control, Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
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4
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Xu X, Pang H, Liu C, Wang K, Loisel G, Li L, Gligorovski S, Li X. Real-time measurements of product compounds formed through the reaction of ozone with breath exhaled VOCs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:2237-2248. [PMID: 36472140 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00339b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Human presence can affect indoor air quality because of secondary organic compounds formed upon reactions between gaseous oxidant species, e.g., ozone (O3), hydroxyl radicals (OH), and chemical compounds from skin, exhaled breath, hair and clothes. We assess the gas-phase product compounds generated by reactions of gaseous O3 with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from exhaled human breath by real time analysis using a high-resolution quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer (HRMS) coupled to a secondary electrospray ionization (SESI) source. Based on the product compounds identified we propose a reaction mechanism initiated by O3 oxidation of the most common breath constituents, isoprene, α-terpinene and ammonia (NH3). The reaction of O3 with isoprene and α-terpinene generates ketones and aldehydes such as 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone, methyl vinyl ketone, 3-carbonyl butyraldehyde, formaldehyde and toxic compounds such as 3-methyl furan. Formation of compounds with reduced nitrogen containing functional groups such as amines, imines and imides is highly plausible through NH3 initiated cleavage of the C-O bond. The detected gas-phase product compounds suggest that human breath can additionally affect indoor air quality through the formation of harmful secondary products and future epidemiological studies should evaluate the potential health effects of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Institute of Mass Spectrometry and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for On-line Source Apportionment System of Air Pollution, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Hongwei Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Chinese Academy of Science, Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Institute of Mass Spectrometry and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for On-line Source Apportionment System of Air Pollution, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Kangyi Wang
- Institute of Mass Spectrometry and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for On-line Source Apportionment System of Air Pollution, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Gwendal Loisel
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Chinese Academy of Science, Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Lei Li
- Institute of Mass Spectrometry and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for On-line Source Apportionment System of Air Pollution, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Sasho Gligorovski
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Chinese Academy of Science, Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Xue Li
- Institute of Mass Spectrometry and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for On-line Source Apportionment System of Air Pollution, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, Guangzhou, 510632, China
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5
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Qiao R, Lou X, Sun Y, Liu Y. Effects of occupant behaviors on perceived dormitory air quality and sick building syndrome symptoms among female college students. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e13153. [PMID: 36437662 DOI: 10.1111/ina.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We performed a cross-sectional survey of 2143 female students in a university in Tianjin, China regarding perceived air quality (PAQ) and sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms in the student dormitory. The prevalence of general, mucosal, and skin symptoms was 22.1%, 21.9%, and 26.3%, respectively. The three most prevalent PAQ complaints were "dry air" (48.9% often), "stuffy odor" (18.2%), and "other unpleasant odors" (5.1%), and they were significant risk factors for 11-12 out of 12 SBS symptoms (adjusted odds ratios [AOR]: 1.6-5.8). Survey data of 1471 undergraduates, whose dorms were of uniform layout and furnishing, were used to further investigate the influences of occupancy level and occupant behaviors on PAQ and SBS symptoms. Frequent use of air freshener/perfume was a significant risk factor for "dry air," less frequent room cleaning and higher occupancy density were significant risk factors for "stuffy odor," and less natural ventilation was a significant risk factor for both "stuffy odor" and "pungent odor." These factors were also significantly associated with some SBS symptoms. In particular, the use of air freshener/perfume exhibited a significant dose-response pattern with "fatigue" (sometimes: AOR 1.3; often: AOR 2.0) and with "irritated, stuffy, or runny nose" (sometimes: AOR 1.6; often: AOR 2.2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruohong Qiao
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinyuan Lou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuexia Sun
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yingjun Liu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
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6
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Coffaro B, Weisel CP. Reactions and Products of Squalene and Ozone: A Review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:7396-7411. [PMID: 35648815 PMCID: PMC9231367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
This critical review describes the squalene-ozone (SqOz) reaction, or squalene ozonolysis. Ambient ozone penetrates indoors and drives indoor air chemistry. Squalene, a component of human skin oil, contains six carbon-carbon double bonds and is very reactive with ozone. Bioeffluents from people contribute to indoor air chemistry and affect the indoor air quality, resulting in exposures because people spend the majority of their time indoors. The SqOz reaction proceeds through various formation pathways and produces compounds that include aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and dicarbonyl species, which have a range of volatilities. In this critical review of SqOz chemistry, information on the mechanism of reaction, reaction probability, rate constants, and reaction kinetics are compiled. Characterizations of SqOz reaction products have been done in laboratory experiments and real-world settings. The effect of multiple environmental parameters (ozone concentration, air exchange rate (AER), temperature, and relative humidity (RH)) in indoor settings are summarized. This critical review concludes by identifying the paucity of available exposure, health, and toxicological data for known reaction products. Key knowledge gaps about SqOz reactions leading to indoor exposures and adverse health outcomes are provided as well as an outlook on where the field is headed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breann Coffaro
- Environmental
and Health Sciences Institute and Graduate Program in Exposure Science, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway Township, New
Jersey 08854, United
States
| | - Clifford P. Weisel
- Environmental
and Health Sciences Institute and School of Public Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway Township, New
Jersey 08854, United
States
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7
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Wang N, Ernle L, Bekö G, Wargocki P, Williams J. Emission Rates of Volatile Organic Compounds from Humans. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:4838-4848. [PMID: 35389619 PMCID: PMC9022422 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Human-emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are mainly from breath and the skin. In this study, we continuously measured VOCs in a stainless-steel environmentally controlled climate chamber (22.5 m3, air change rate at 3.2 h-1) occupied by four seated human volunteers using proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Experiments with human whole body, breath-only, and dermal-only emissions were performed under ozone-free and ozone-present conditions. In addition, the effect of temperature, relative humidity, clothing type, and age was investigated for whole-body emissions. Without ozone, the whole-body total emission rate (ER) was 2180 ± 620 μg h-1 per person (p-1), dominated by exhaled chemicals. The ERs of oxygenated VOCs were positively correlated with the enthalpy of the air. Under ozone-present conditions (∼37 ppb), the whole-body total ER doubled, with the increase mainly driven by VOCs resulting from skin surface lipids/ozone reactions, which increased with relative humidity. Long clothing (more covered skin) was found to reduce the total ERs but enhanced certain chemicals related to the clothing. The ERs of VOCs derived from this study provide a valuable data set of human emissions under various conditions and can be used in models to better predict indoor air quality, especially for highly occupied environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nijing Wang
- Atmospheric
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Lisa Ernle
- Atmospheric
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Gabriel Bekö
- International
Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Environmental
and Resource Engineering, Technical University
of Denmark, Nils Koppels Alle 402, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pawel Wargocki
- International
Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Environmental
and Resource Engineering, Technical University
of Denmark, Nils Koppels Alle 402, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Williams
- Atmospheric
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Climate
& Atmosphere Research Centre, The Cyprus
Institute, 1645 Nicosia, Cyprus
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8
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Kuga K, Ito K, Wargocki P. The effects of warmth and CO 2 concentration, with and without bioeffluents, on the emission of CO 2 by occupants and physiological responses. INDOOR AIR 2021; 31:2176-2187. [PMID: 33913564 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The emission rate of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) depends on many factors but mainly on the activity level (metabolic rate) of occupants. In this study, we examined two other factors that may influence the CO2 emission rate, namely the background CO2 concentration and the indoor temperature. Six male volunteers sat one by one in a 1.7 m3 chamber for 2.5 h and performed light office-type work under five different conditions with two temperature levels (23 vs. 28°C) and three background concentrations of CO2 (800 vs. 1400 vs. 3000 ppm). Background CO2 levels were increased either by dosing CO2 from a cylinder or by reducing the outdoor air supply rate. Physiological responses to warmth, added CO2 , and bioeffluents were monitored. The rate of CO2 emission was estimated using a mass-balance equation. The results indicate a higher CO2 emission rate at the higher temperature, at which the subjects were warm, and a lower emission rate in all conditions in which the background CO2 concentration increased. Physiological measurements partially explained the present results but more measurements are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Kuga
- Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuhide Ito
- Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Pawel Wargocki
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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9
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Arata C, Misztal PK, Tian Y, Lunderberg DM, Kristensen K, Novoselac A, Vance ME, Farmer DK, Nazaroff WW, Goldstein AH. Volatile organic compound emissions during HOMEChem. INDOOR AIR 2021; 31:2099-2117. [PMID: 34272904 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying speciated concentrations and emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is critical to understanding the processes that control indoor VOC dynamics, airborne chemistry, and human exposures. Here, we present source strength profiles from the HOMEChem study, quantifying speciated VOC emissions from scripted experiments (with multiple replicates) of cooking, cleaning, and human occupancy and from unperturbed baseline measurements of the building and its contents. Measurements using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer were combined with tracer-based determinations of air-change rates to enable mass-balance-based calculations of speciated, time-resolved VOC source strengths. The building and its contents were the dominant emission source into the house, with large emissions of acetic acid, methanol, and formic acid. Cooking emissions were greater than cleaning emissions and were dominated by ethanol. Bleach cleaning generated high emissions of chlorinated compounds, whereas natural product cleaning emitted predominantly terpenoids. Occupancy experiments showed large emissions of siloxanes from personal care products in the morning, with much lower emissions in the afternoon. From these results, VOC emissions were simulated for a hypothetical 24-h period, showing that emissions from the house and its contents make up nearly half of total indoor VOC emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb Arata
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Pawel K Misztal
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Yilin Tian
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Baseline Environmental Consulting, Emeryville, California, USA
| | - David M Lunderberg
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Kasper Kristensen
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Atila Novoselac
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Marina E Vance
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Delphine K Farmer
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - William W Nazaroff
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Allen H Goldstein
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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10
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Chen R, Fang L, Liu J, Herbig B, Norrefeldt V, Mayer F, Fox R, Wargocki P. Cabin air quality on non-smoking commercial flights: A review of published data on airborne pollutants. INDOOR AIR 2021; 31:926-957. [PMID: 33896039 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We reviewed 47 documents published 1967-2019 that reported measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on commercial aircraft. We compared the measurements with the air quality standards and guidelines for aircraft cabins and in some cases buildings. Average levels of VOCs for which limits exist were lower than the permissible levels except for benzene with average concentration at 5.9 ± 5.5 μg/m3 . Toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, limonene, nonanal, hexanal, decanal, octanal, acetic acid, acetone, ethanol, butanal, acrolein, isoprene and menthol were the most frequently measured compounds. The concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and other contaminants did not exceed standards and guidelines in buildings except for the average NO2 concentration at 12 ppb. Although the focus was on VOCs, we also retrieved the data on other parameters characterizing cabin environment. Ozone concentration averaged 38 ppb below the upper limit recommended for aircraft. The outdoor air supply rate ranged from 1.7 to 39.5 L/s per person and averaged 6.0 ± 0.8 L/s/p (median 5.8 L/s/p), higher than the minimum level recommended for commercial aircraft. Carbon dioxide concentration averaged 1315 ± 232 ppm, lower than what is permitted in aircraft and close to what is permitted in buildings. Measured temperatures averaged 23.5 ± 0.8°C and were generally within the ranges recommended for avoiding thermal discomfort. Relative humidity averaged 16% ± 5%, lower than what is recommended in buildings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqing Chen
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lei Fang
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Junjie Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Britta Herbig
- LMU University Hospital Munich, Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Victor Norrefeldt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, Holzkirchen Branch, Valley, Germany
| | - Florian Mayer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, Holzkirchen Branch, Valley, Germany
| | - Richard Fox
- Aircraft Environment Solutions Inc., San Tan Valley, Arizona, USA
| | - Pawel Wargocki
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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11
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Abstract
This review aimed to provide an overview of the characterisation of indoor air quality (IAQ) during the sleeping period, based only on real life conditions’ studies where, at least, one air pollutant was considered. Despite the consensual complexity of indoor air, when focusing on sleeping environments, the available scientific literature is still scarce and falls to provide a multipollutants’ characterisation of the air breathed during sleep. This review, following PRISMA’s approach, identified a total of 22 studies that provided insights of how IAQ is during the sleeping period in real life conditions. Most of studies focused on carbon dioxide (77%), followed by particles (PM2.5, PM10 and ultrafines) and only 18% of the studies focused on pollutants such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde. Despite the high heterogeneity between studies (regarding the geographical area, type of surrounding environments, season of the year, type of dwelling, bedrooms’ ventilation, number of occupants), several air pollutants showed exceedances of the limit values established by guidelines or legislation, indicating that an effort should be made in order to minimise human exposure to air pollutants. For instance, when considering the air quality guideline of World Health Organisation of 10 µg·m−3 for PM2.5, 86% of studies that focused this pollutant registered levels above this threshold. Considering that people spend one third of their day sleeping, exposure during this period may have a significant impact on the daily integrated human exposure, due to the higher amount of exposure time, even if this environment is characterised by lower pollutants’ levels. Improving the current knowledge of air pollutants levels during sleep in different settings, as well as in different countries, will allow to improve the accuracy of exposure assessments and will also allow to understand their main drivers and how to tackle them.
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12
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Lim CY, Abbatt JP. Chemical Composition, Spatial Homogeneity, and Growth of Indoor Surface Films. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:14372-14379. [PMID: 33156609 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Organic films on indoor surfaces are ubiquitous, but details about their composition and growth over timescales less than a month are not fully understood. To address these gaps in understanding, organic film samples in an apartment unit were collected over the course of 17 days using passive samplers and analyzed in a non-targeted manner using direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). Overall, the chemical composition observed across various locations within the apartment are very similar. Mass spectra also show clear evidence for the growth of semi-volatile compounds from natural sources and consumer products, such as carboxylic acids and plasticizers. Certain compounds show evidence for equilibration, mostly consistent with surface partitioning models based on octanol-air partition coefficients (Koa). Compounds which have higher molecular weight or larger Koa values tend to equilibrate later, leading to an overall shift in the composition of the film as a function of collection time. Growth rates of film thickness are at least 0.05 nm/day based on a limited number of individually calibrated ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Y Lim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Jonathan P Abbatt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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13
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Bekö G, Wargocki P, Wang N, Li M, Weschler CJ, Morrison G, Langer S, Ernle L, Licina D, Yang S, Zannoni N, Williams J. The Indoor Chemical Human Emissions and Reactivity (ICHEAR) project: Overview of experimental methodology and preliminary results. INDOOR AIR 2020; 30:1213-1228. [PMID: 32424858 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
With the gradual reduction of emissions from building products, emissions from human occupants become more dominant indoors. The impact of human emissions on indoor air quality is inadequately understood. The aim of the Indoor Chemical Human Emissions and Reactivity (ICHEAR) project was to examine the impact on indoor air chemistry of whole-body, exhaled, and dermally emitted human bioeffluents under different conditions comprising human factors (t-shirts/shorts vs long-sleeve shirts/pants; age: teenagers, young adults, and seniors) and a variety of environmental factors (moderate vs high air temperature; low vs high relative humidity; presence vs absence of ozone). A series of human subject experiments were performed in a well-controlled stainless steel climate chamber. State-of-the-art measurement technologies were used to quantify the volatile organic compounds emitted by humans and their total OH reactivity; ammonia, nanoparticle, fluorescent biological aerosol particle (FBAP), and microbial emissions; and skin surface chemistry. This paper presents the design of the project, its methodologies, and preliminary results, comparing identical measurements performed with five groups, each composed of 4 volunteers (2 males and 2 females). The volunteers wore identical laundered new clothes and were asked to use the same set of fragrance-free personal care products. They occupied the ozone-free (<2 ppb) chamber for 3 hours (morning) and then left for a 10-min lunch break. Ozone (target concentration in occupied chamber ~35 ppb) was introduced 10 minutes after the volunteers returned to the chamber, and the measurements continued for another 2.5 hours. Under a given ozone condition, relatively small differences were observed in the steady-state concentrations of geranyl acetone, 6MHO, and 4OPA between the five groups. Larger variability was observed for acetone and isoprene. The absence or presence of ozone significantly influenced the steady-state concentrations of acetone, geranyl acetone, 6MHO, and 4OPA. Results of replicate experiments demonstrate the robustness of the experiments. Higher repeatability was achieved for dermally emitted compounds and their reaction products than for constituents of exhaled breath.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Bekö
- Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pawel Wargocki
- Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nijing Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mengze Li
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
| | - Charles J Weschler
- Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Glenn Morrison
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sarka Langer
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Göteborg, Sweden
- Division of Building Services Engineering, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Lisa Ernle
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dusan Licina
- Human-Oriented Built Environment Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Shen Yang
- Human-Oriented Built Environment Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Nora Zannoni
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
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14
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Alsaad H, Voelker C. Performance evaluation of ductless personalized ventilation in comparison with desk fans using numerical simulations. INDOOR AIR 2020; 30:776-789. [PMID: 32255221 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The performance of ductless personalized ventilation (DPV) was compared to the performance of a typical desk fan since they are both stand-alone systems that allow the users to personalize their indoor environment. The two systems were evaluated using a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of an office room occupied by two users. To investigate the impact of DPV and the fan on the inhaled air quality, two types of contamination sources were modeled in the domain: an active source and a passive source. Additionally, the influence of the compared systems on thermal comfort was assessed using the coupling of CFD with the comfort model developed by the University of California, Berkeley (UCB model). Results indicated that DPV performed generally better than the desk fan. It provided better thermal comfort and showed a superior performance in removing the exhaled contaminants. However, the desk fan performed better in removing the contaminants emitted from a passive source near the floor level. This indicates that the performance of DPV and desk fans depends highly on the location of the contamination source. Moreover, the simulations showed that both systems increased the spread of exhaled contamination when used by the source occupant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayder Alsaad
- Department of Building Physics, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Weimar, Germany
| | - Conrad Voelker
- Department of Building Physics, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Weimar, Germany
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15
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He J, Sun X, Yang X. Human respiratory system as sink for volatile organic compounds: Evidence from field measurements. INDOOR AIR 2019; 29:968-978. [PMID: 31466121 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Human exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via inhalation might increase the risk of specific diseases. Human breath has been widely investigated as a source of VOCs. However, the role of the human respiratory system as a sink for VOCs is much less studied. In this observational study, the VOC concentrations in inhaled and exhaled air in different environmental conditions were investigated. A total of 98 healthy non-smoking subjects who were exposed to a wide variation in levels of VOCs participated in this study. Individual and statistical results show that human breath could serve as a source for some VOCs and a sink for others, and even when human breath serves as a sink, not all VOCs were 100% absorbed. Interestingly, an increase in inhaled concentrations of toluene was observed to convert human breath from being a source to being a sink. Attention could be given to those VOCs for which humans act as a strong sink.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzhou He
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Sun
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xudong Yang
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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16
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Fan X, Liu W, Wargocki P. Physiological and psychological reactions of sub-tropically acclimatized subjects exposed to different indoor temperatures at a relative humidity of 70. INDOOR AIR 2019; 29:215-230. [PMID: 30474277 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Thermal comfort, self-reported acute health symptoms, cognitive performance, and physiological reactions were examined at four temperatures (26, 30, 33, and 37°C) at a relative humidity of 70%. Thirty-two sub-tropically acclimatized subjects experienced each condition for 175 minute, in balanced order, in a climatic chamber. The perception of heat gradually increased with increasing temperature, but the subjects felt hot only at 37°C. The temperature of 33°C was on average rated as acceptable and only just uncomfortable. The acceptability of air quality decreased linearly with increasing temperature. The intensity of acute health symptoms reported by the subjects increased with increasing temperature, but it was no more than moderate even at the highest temperature; dryness of skin and eye were alleviated. The eardrum temperature, skin temperature and moisture, heart rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide, and weight loss increased significantly with increasing temperature, whereas the percentage of adjacent heart inter-beat intervals differing by >50 ms decreased significantly. These results suggest that the perceived heat, self-reported symptoms, and physiological reactions occurred concurrently. They show additionally that acclimatization to heat may shift the boundary of thermal discomfort to a higher temperature. The role of psychological adaptation and of the contextual aspects of this process still requires clarification in future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Fan
- School of Energy Science & Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- School of Energy Science & Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pawel Wargocki
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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17
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Lou-Bonafonte JM, Martínez-Beamonte R, Sanclemente T, Surra JC, Herrera-Marcos LV, Sanchez-Marco J, Arnal C, Osada J. Current Insights into the Biological Action of Squalene. Mol Nutr Food Res 2018; 62:e1800136. [PMID: 29883523 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201800136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Squalene is a triterpenic compound found in a large number of plants and other sources with a long tradition of research since it was first reported in 1926. Herein a systematic review of studies concerning squalene published in the last 8 years is presented. These studies have provided further support for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherosclerotic properties in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, an antineoplastic effect in nutrigenetic-type treatments, which depends on the failing metabolic pathway of tumors, has also been reported. The bioavailability of squalene in cell cultures, animal models, and in humans has been well established, and further progress has been made in regard to the intracellular transport of this lipophilic molecule. Squalene accumulates in the liver and decreases hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides, with these actions being exerted via a complex network of changes in gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Its presence in different biological fluids has also been studied. The combination of squalene with other bioactive compounds has been shown to enhance its pleiotropic properties and might lead to the formulation of functional foods and nutraceuticals to control oxidative stress and, therefore, numerous age-related diseases in human and veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Lou-Bonafonte
- Departamento de Farmacología y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud y del Deporte, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-22002, Spain.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain.,CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, E-28029, Spain
| | - Roberto Martínez-Beamonte
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain.,CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, E-28029, Spain.,Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, E-22071, Spain
| | - Teresa Sanclemente
- Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, E-22071, Spain
| | - Joaquín C Surra
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain.,CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, E-28029, Spain.,Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, E-22071, Spain
| | - Luis V Herrera-Marcos
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain.,Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain
| | - Javier Sanchez-Marco
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain
| | - Carmen Arnal
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain.,CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, E-28029, Spain.,Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain
| | - Jesús Osada
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain.,CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, E-28029, Spain.,Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50013, Spain
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18
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Carrer P, de Oliveira Fernandes E, Santos H, Hänninen O, Kephalopoulos S, Wargocki P. On the Development of Health-Based Ventilation Guidelines: Principles and Framework. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E1360. [PMID: 29958470 PMCID: PMC6068630 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15071360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This paper summarizes the results of HealthVent project. It had an aim to develop health-based ventilation guidelines and through this process contribute to advance indoor air quality (IAQ) policies and guidelines. A framework that allows determining ventilation requirements in public and residential buildings based on the health requirements is proposed. The framework is based on three principles: 1. Criteria for permissible concentrations of specific air pollutants set by health authorities have to be respected; 2. Ventilation must be preceded by source control strategies that have been duly adopted to improve IAQ; 3. Base ventilation must always be secured to remove occupant emissions (bio-effluents). The air quality guidelines defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) outside air are used as the reference for determining permissible levels of the indoor air pollutants based on the principle that there is only one air. It is proposed that base ventilation should be set at 4 L/s per person; higher rates are to be used only if WHO guidelines are not followed. Implementation of the framework requires technical guidelines, directives and other legislation. Studies are also needed to examine the effectiveness of the approach and to validate its use. It is estimated that implementing the framework would bring considerable reduction in the burden of disease associated with inadequate IAQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Carrer
- Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco" University of Milan, IT-20157 Milan, Italy.
| | | | - Hugo Santos
- INEGI-Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Otto Hänninen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Stylianos Kephalopoulos
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Health, Consumers and Reference Materials, 20127 Ispra, Italy.
| | - Pawel Wargocki
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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19
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Schieweck A, Gunschera J, Varol D, Salthammer T. Analytical procedure for the determination of very volatile organic compounds (C 3-C 6) in indoor air. Anal Bioanal Chem 2018; 410:3171-3183. [PMID: 29594428 PMCID: PMC5910464 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-018-1004-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The substance group of very volatile organic compounds (VVOCs) is moving into the focus of indoor air analysis, facing ongoing regulations at international and European levels targeting on indoor air quality and human health. However, there exists at present no validated analysis for the identification and quantification of VVOCs in indoor air. Therefore, the present study targeted on the development of an analytical method in order to sample the maximum possible quantity of VVOCs in indoor air on solid sorbents with subsequent analysis by thermal desorption and coupled gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TDS-GC/MS). For this purpose, it was necessary to investigate the performance of available sorbents and to optimize the parameters of GC/MS analysis. Stainless steel tubes filled with Carbograph 5TD were applied successfully for low-volume sampling (2-4 l) with minimal breakthrough (< 1%). With the developed method, VVOCs between C3 and C6 of different volatility and polarity can be detected even in trace quantities with low limits of quantitation (LOQ; 1-3 μg m-3). Limitations occur for low molecular weight compounds ≤C3, especially for polar substances, such as carboxylic acids and for some aldehydes and alcohols. Consequently, established methods for the quantification of these compounds in indoor air cannot be fully substituted yet. At least three different analytical techniques are needed to cover the large spectrum of relevant VVOCs in indoor air. In addition, unexpected reaction products might occur and need to be taken into account to avoid misinterpretation of chromatographic signals. Graphical abstract Solid sorbent sampling of VVOCs (C3-C6) in indoor air with subsequent TDS-GC/MS analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Schieweck
- Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, Bienroder Weg 54E, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Jan Gunschera
- Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, Bienroder Weg 54E, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Deniz Varol
- Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, Bienroder Weg 54E, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tunga Salthammer
- Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, Bienroder Weg 54E, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany
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