Volatile organic compound emissions during HOMEChem

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.

Emission Rates of Volatile Organic Compounds from Humans

“…Human VOC ERs have been determined from measurements in several real-world indoor environments: a university classroom, 15 a cinema, 16 a gallery room in a museum, 17 a university athletic center, 18 a test house, 19 and laboratory offices. 20 The main VOC species measured (e.g., methanol, ethanol, monoterpenes, and siloxanes) showed large variations due to previous alcohol or food consumption and the use of personal care products.…”

Influence of Mechanical Ventilation Systems and Human Occupancy on Time-Resolved Source Rates of Volatile Skin Oil Ozonolysis Products in a LEED-Certified Office Building

“…Another study in a university athletic center indicated that the interquartile ranges of the normalized surface emission rates (by total surface area) were 0.21–0.35, 2.1–2.9, and 0.25–0.44 μg m –2 h –1 for 6-MHO, 4-OPA and decanal, respectively, while the normalized net surface emission rates in the office were 0.42–3.10, 0.12–3.5, and 0.31–1.29 μg m –2 h –1 , respectively. A recent study in a residential test house, which has a floor area similar to the office, exhibited relatively low emissions during unoccupied periods with mean emission rates of 105, 152, and 141 μg h –1 for 6-MHO, 4-OPA, and decanal, respectively . Although volatile precursors (e.g., GA, 6-MHO) and condensed-phase skin oils can transfer to indoor surfaces via absorptive partitioning, , direct contact, and desquamation, such high emission rates from indoor surfaces in the office are unlikely attributable to heterogeneous reactions between O 3 and condensed-phase precursors on indoor surfaces.…”

“…A recent study in a residential test house, which has a floor area similar to the office, exhibited relatively low emissions during unoccupied periods with mean emission rates of 105, 152, and 141 μg h −1 for 6-MHO, 4-OPA, and decanal, respectively. 50 Although volatile precursors (e.g., GA, 6-MHO) and condensed-phase skin oils can transfer to indoor surfaces via absorptive partitioning, 51,52 direct contact, and desquamation, 44 such high emission rates from indoor surfaces in the office are unlikely attributable to heterogeneous reactions between O 3 and condensed-phase precursors on indoor surfaces.…”

Determination of acrolein in ambient air and in the atmosphere of environmental test chambers

“…Indoors, acrolein is known to be mainly formed through thermal processes, which include the decomposition of wood, 21,22 fuel, [23][24][25] plastics, 26,27 incense burning, 28 cooking and deepfrying, [29][30][31][32][33][34] smoking, tobacco heating and vaping. 37,38 The cause of the formation of acrolein during food preparation are the decomposition processes of the fatty acids, 39 glycerides and carbohydrates contained in food.…”

“…The formation of acrolein is attributed to high-temperature degradation of cooking oil and heated vegetables, respectively. 34 In a Chinese temple, the acrolein level was up to 3 times higher during incense burning than in the outside. 28 Williams et al 51 determined an average acrolein concentration of 5 -6 µg m -³ in 6 London smoking rooms exceeding those measured in comparison rooms.…”