Indoor air pollution in university research laboratories may be important to building occupants, especially for those who work in the laboratories. In this study, indoor air quality (IAQ) and indoor environmental comfort were investigated in research laboratories of two departments at a university. PM2.5, PM10, TVOC (total volatile organic compounds), and CO concentrations, and three comfort variables which are temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 were measured. PM2.5 concentration was determined gravimetrically by collecting particles on glass fiber filters, whereas the remaining pollutants and comfort variables were measured using a monitoring device. IAQ measurements showed that levels of all pollutants were under the limits in both of the departments except for TVOC in one laboratory which had a mean concentration of 182 ppb. The comfort variables were in the comfort ranges for laboratories in both of the departments except for temperature in one laboratory with a mean value of 30 °C. In conclusion, measures are needed for extensive uses of organic solvents because ventilation may not be sufficient to keep VOC concentrations within the limits, and to provide thermal comfort

Semi-volatile organic compounds were monitored over a whole year, by collection of gas and particle phases every sixth day at a suburban site in Izmir, Turkey. Annual mean concentrations of 32 polychlorinated biphenyls (∑ 32 PCBs) and 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑ 14 PAHs) were 348 pg/m 3 and 36 ng/m 3 , respectively, while it was 273 pg/m 3 for endosulfan, the dominant compound among 23 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Monte Carlo simulation was applied to the USEPA exposure-risk models for the estimation of the population exposure and carcinogenic risk probability distributions for heating and non-heating periods. The estimated population risks associated with dermal contact and inhalation routes to ∑ 32 PCBs, ∑ 14 PAHs, and some of the targeted OCPs (α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, α-chlordane (α-CHL), γ-chlordane (γ-CHL), and p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p′-DDT)) were in the ranges of 1.86 × 10 −16 -7.29 × 10 −9 and 1.38 × 10 −10 -4.07 × 10 −6 , respectively. The inhalation 95th percentile risks for ∑ 32 PCBs, ∑ 14 PAHs, and OCPs were about 6, 3, and 4-7 orders of magnitude higher than those of dermal route, respectively. The 95th percentile inhalation risk for ∑ 32 PCBs and OCPs in the non-heating period were 1.8-and 1.2-4.6 folds higher than in the heating period, respectively. In contrast, the 95th percentile risk levels for ∑ 14 PAHs in the heating period were 4.3 times greater than that of non-heating period for inhalation, respectively. While risk levels associated with exposure to PCBs and OCPs did not exceed the acceptable level of 1 × 10 −6 , it was exceeded for 47 % of the population associated with inhalation of PAHs with a maximum value of about 4 × 10 −6 .

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As a result of its unique location, Turkey receives air masses from Europe, Russia, Middle East, and Africa, making it an important place in terms of long range atmospheric transport (LRT) of contaminants. Atmospheric levels of 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 45 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 14 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in two metropolitan cities, Istanbul and Izmir, on a weekly basis from May 2014 to May 2015. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its derivatives were dominant OCP species, followed by isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) at both sites. The annual mean concentration of ΣDDX (sum of o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDE, and p,p′-DDE) was 82 pg/m 3 for Istanbul and 89 pg/m 3 for Izmir, while these levels were about 46 pg/m 3 for ΣHCHs (sum of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-HCH) at both of the sites. At both stations, tri-and tetra-PCBs and tetra-and penta-PBDEs were dominant congeners. The temperature dependence indicates that both LRT and local contaminated areas contribute to the elevated levels. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model (FLEXPART) showed a few potential source regions in northern Africa and Middle East, southern-southwestern and eastern Europe including Russia, as well as from local domestic metropolitan areas.