Determination of VOCs in the Indoor Air of a New and a Renovated Apartment

Abstract

This study deals with the occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the indoor environment of a new and a renovated apartment. Qualitative determination of VOCs was carried out with a gas chromatograph with surface acoustic wave detector (GC/SAW). Concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) were determined by a photoionization detector with UV lamp. Simultaneously, temperature and relative humidity were monitored with a data logger. The aim of this study was to determine of TVOC concentrations, to use of GC/SAW for determination of individual VOCs in indoor air as well as to predict possible sources of VOCs in these apartments. Measurements were performed after each construction work for better resolution of the contributions of individual materials to the levels of VOC. Mean concentrations of TVOC were 624 μg/m3 in the renovated apartment and 1,686 μg/m3 in the new apartment after completion of all works. The results from the renovated apartment showed that the use of new materials can lead to lower levels of organic compounds in indoor air compared to old materials that were less environmentally friendly. Many types of VOCs were found in both apartments. After reviewing the possible sources, it seems that the main sources of these substances were applied coatings and flooring materials.

Analysis of indoor particles and gases and their evolution with natural ventilation

“…[65][66][67][68][69] Carvone, which was primarily observed in non-denuded indoor chromatograms, is an oxidized terpene that, like other terpenes, emits as a primary product from wood, paints, and scented indoor items, but also originates from gas-phase oxidation of limonene. 132,133 Although the limonene-ozone pathway might contribute partly to carvone concentrations, we do not expect significant carvone production through this mechanism based on low observed limonene concentrations.…”

“…Though relative factor loadings may vary between denuded and non‐denuded measurements for a given compound, Factors 1‐D and 2‐D generally have contributions from personal care product ingredients (eg, isopropyl myristate and DEET), perfumes (eg, hedione and α‐cedrene), and plasticizers (eg, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate loading into both indoor factors 1 and 2) . Carvone, which was primarily observed in non‐denuded indoor chromatograms, is an oxidized terpene that, like other terpenes, emits as a primary product from wood, paints, and scented indoor items, but also originates from gas‐phase oxidation of limonene . Although the limonene‐ozone pathway might contribute partly to carvone concentrations, we do not expect significant carvone production through this mechanism based on low observed limonene concentrations.…”

The botanical biofiltration of VOCs with active airflow: is removal efficiency related to chemical properties?

“…There are a limited number of studies investigating the botanical biofiltration of multiple VOCs simultaneously, however it is likely that there may be interactions that would influence removal efficiency. Although this work evaluated the removal of different VOCs individually, it has been shown that a complex mixture of VOCs exist within most indoor environments (Meciarova and Vilcekova, 2016). Potted-plant experiments that have assessed the simultaneous removal of multiple VOCs have found that this may improve or hinder the rate of microbial degradation.…”

“…Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are an important class of air pollutants present in many indoor environments (Cakmak et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2013a;Wolkoff, 2013), where their concentration is often much higher than in the corresponding outdoor environment (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2017). Several hundred VOCs have been reported in the indoor environment (Meciarova and Vilcekova, 2016) and exposure to certain VOCs has been associated with a broad range of symptoms including asthma and allergic disorders (Garrett et al, 1999;Krzyzanowski et al, 1990;Norbäck et al, 1995;Rumchev et al, 2002;Venn et al, 2003), while some VOCs, such as benzene, can have carcinogenic effects (Mehlman, 2006).…”

Towards practical indoor air phytoremediation: A review

“…While many experiments have assessed the potential for the bioremediation of single VOCs independently, hundreds of VOCs may be present simultaneously in a typical indoor environment (Meciarova and Vilcekova, 2016). Simultaneous biodegradation of multiple VOCs provides the opportunity for substrate interactions to occur.…”