Insight into the environmental monitoring and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various functional areas

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosol contamination has caused widespread concern about human and environmental health. However, research about VOCs as an important precursor of secondary aerosols in ambient air is still limited. In this study, VOCs at sites from three typical functional areas in Hefei, China, were monitored using GC–MS/FID. The VOCs in ambient air from different functional areas showed significantly different characteristics. The highest concentrations and the biggest diurnal difference of VOCs were found in the High-tech Zone (industrial area) with serried emission sources. Additionally, lower VOC concentration was observed in Changjiang West Road, the center area of studied city. The VOC concentration in this area is strongly related to other pollutants. The composition of VOCs at all sampling sites showed certain common characteristics, i.e., alkanes, OVOCs, and halogenated hydrocarbons account for more than 75% of the total VOCs’ quality. The High-tech Zone with the highest concentration of VOCs also has the highest proportion of alkanes. Besides, the positive matrix factorization analysis results revealed that vehicle exhaust, LPG volatilization sources, and chemical solvents were the most important VOC emission sources in Hefei. In terms of the contribution of VOC components to the OFP at the three sites, the olefins and alkynes at the Changjiang West Road site and the Science Island site contribute the most significant proportion. In contrast, the OVOCs at the High-tech Zone site contribute the largest proportion.

Research progresses on VOCs emission investigationsviasurface and satellite observations in China

“…a 22, 81 and 82.b 17, 28, 68, 72, 76 and 83–89.c 7.d 2, 4, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 29–31, 35, 48, 49, 58, 70, 73, 75 and 90–109.e 71 and 109–111.f 1, 14, 15, 22, 30, 31, 35, 37, 65, 93, 95, 107, 112–115 and 115–118.g 35.h 17, 37, 74, 116 and 119–121.i 122 and 123.j 13, 20, 23, 32–34, 51, 57, 94, 123–127, 127–129 and 129–134.k 123.l 26 and 135–137.m 23, 25, 26, 119…”

Controlled Polymer Synthesis Toward Green Chemistry: Deep Insights into Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization in Biobased Substitutes for Polar Aprotic Solvents

“…Therefore, in accordance with green chemistry aspects, it is crucial to avoid the use of toxic solvents, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as they contribute to waste generation during synthesis. 10 Their extensive use in reaction mixtures and the separation of polymer products result in this issue. Moving toward the elimination of toxic solvents in syntheses carried out using controlled polymerization techniques, including the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) methods, the directions is the development of environmentally friendly replacement solvents that can eliminate toxicity from the reaction mixture without affecting other reaction parameters.…”

“…The existing techniques that have been developed and have the potential for scaling up often involve hazardous wastes, which might inherently lead to environmental and health concerns. Therefore, in accordance with green chemistry aspects, it is crucial to avoid the use of toxic solvents, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as they contribute to waste generation during synthesis . Their extensive use in reaction mixtures and the separation of polymer products result in this issue.…”

“…Therefore, in accordance with green chemistry aspects, it is crucial to avoid the use of toxic solvents, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as they contribute to waste generation during synthesis. 10 Their extensive use in reaction mixtures and the separation of polymer products result in this issue.…”

Chemical Characteristics and Source-Specific Health Risks of the Volatile Organic Compounds in Urban Nanjing, China

“…Among the VOCs, alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics are typically abundant VOC types in ambient air in China [13][14][15][16], yet the contributions of different VOCs to ozone or secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formations do not necessarily correspond to their relative abundances but are dependent upon their reactivities. For example, aromatics are often not the dominant VOC type in terms of mass concentration but might be dominant in ozone formation; similarly, aromatics, like toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, etc., can play an important role in SOA formation as well, despite their low mass loadings [17][18][19][20].…”