Particulate matter,nitrogen oxides,ozone, and select volatile organic compounds during a winter sampling period in Logan,Utah, USA

Particulate matter mass (PM), trace gaseous pollutants, and select volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with meteorological variables were measured in Logan, Utah (Cache Valley), for >4 weeks during winter 2017 as part of the Utah Winter Fine Particle Study (UWFPS). Higher PM levels for short time periods and lower ozone (O₃) levels were present due to meteorological and mountain valley conditions. Nitrogenous pollutants were relatively strongly correlated with PM variables. Diurnal cycles of NO_x, O₃, and fine PM(PM 2.5) (aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm [PM_2.5]) suggested formation from NO_x. O₃ levels increased from early morning into midafternoon, and NO_x and PM_2.5 increased throughout the morning, followed by sharp decreases. Toluene/benzene and xylenes/benzene ratios and VOC correlations with nitrogenous and PM species were indicative of local traffic sources. Wind sector comparisons suggested that pollutant levels were lower when winds were from nearby mountains to the east versus winds from northerly or southerly origins.

Implications: The Cache Valley in Idaho and Utah has been designated a PM_2.5 nonattainment area that has been attributed to air pollution buildup during winter stagnation events. To inform state implementation plans for PM_2.5 in Cache Valley and other PM_2.5 nonattainment areas in Utah, a state and multiagency federal research effort known as the UWFPS was conducted in winter 2017. As part of the UWFPS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) measured ground-based PM species and their precursors, VOCs, and meteorology in Logan, Utah. Results reported here from the EPA study in Logan provide additional understanding of wintertime air pollution conditions and possible sources of PM and gaseous pollutants as well as being useful for future PM control strategies in this area.     

Evaluation of the optimum volatile organic compounds control strategy considering the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosol in Seoul, Korea

The characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their annual trends in Seoul, Korea were investigated, with their optimal control strategy suggested. The annual concentration of VOCs (96.2–121.1 ppbC) has shown a decreasing trend from 2004 to 2008, suggesting the control strategy via the “Special Measures for Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement,” which was implemented in 2005, has been successful. The contributions of individual VOC to the production of ambient ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are discussed to assess the adequacy of current control strategies. The contribution of aromatics (C6–C10) to the production of ozone accounted for 38.7–46.3 % of the total ozone production, followed by low carbon alkanes (C2–C6) (27.0–35.9 %). The total SOA formation potential of VOCs was found to range from 2.5 to 3.5 μg m^?3, mainly as a result of aromatics (C6–C10) (over 85 %). Considering the contributions from ozone and SOA production, it was concluded that solvent use was the most important emission source, followed by vehicle exhaust emissions. Thus, the current emission control strategy focused on these two emission sources is appropriate to reduce the VOCs related pollution level of the Seoul Metropolitan Region. Still, an additional control strategy, such as controlling the emissions from meat cooking, which is an emission source of high carbon alkanes (C7–C10), needs to be considered to further reduce the VOCs related pollution level in Seoul.     

Projected changes in particulate matter concentrations in the South Coast Air Basin due to basin-wide reductions in nitrogen oxides,volatile organic compounds,and ammonia emissions

An ozone abatement strategy for the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) has been proposed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the California Air Resources Board (ARB). The proposed emissions reduction strategy is focused on the reduction of nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions by the year 2030. Two high PM_2.5 concentration episodes with high ammonium nitrate compositions occurring during September and November 2008 were simulated with the Community Multi-scale Air Quality model (CMAQ). All simulations were made with same meteorological files provided by the SCAQMD to allow them to be more directly compared with their previous modeling studies. Although there was an overall under-prediction bias, the CMAQ simulations were within an overall normalized mean error of 50%; a range that is considered acceptable performance for PM modeling. A range of simulations of these episodes were made to evaluate sensitivity to NO_x and ammonia emissions inputs for the future year 2030. It was found that the current ozone control strategy will reduce daily average PM_2.5 concentrations. However, the targeted NO_x reductions for ozone were not found to be optimal for reducing PM_2.5 concentrations. Ammonia emission reductions reduced PM_2.5 and this might be considered as part of a PM_2.5 control strategy.

Implications: The SCAQMD and the ARB have proposed an ozone abatement strategy for the SoCAB that focuses on NO_x emission reductions. Their strategy will affect both ozone and PM_2.5. Two episodes that occurred during September and November 2008 with high PM_2.5 concentrations and high ammonium nitrate composition were selected for simulation with different levels of nitrogen oxide and ammonia emissions for the future year 2030. It was found that the ozone control strategy will reduce maximum daily average PM_2.5 concentrations but its effect on PM_2.5 concentrations is not optimal.     

四川省加油站挥发性有机物排放及控制现状

四川省汽车保有量2017年位列全国第7位,油品储运销过程中挥发性有机物(VOCs)排放压力巨大。利用排放因子法,结合四川省4 492座加油站的油品销售量,编制了四川省2017年加油站VOCs排放清单。另一方面,对四川省不同片区的VOCs排放特征及油气回收关键参数进行了现场实测。结果表明:四川省加油站VOCs排放量共12 294.54t,排放区域主要集中在成都市、绵阳市和宜宾市等地区;四川省四大片区VOCs排放浓度,加油环节攀西片区最高,达到7 076.86μg/m~3,卸油环节川东北片区最高,达到9 638.53μg/m~3,均是其他片区的2～3倍,加油和卸油环节排放的异戊烷最高占比(质量分数)可分别达到70.1%和67.4%;四川省油气回收系统达标情况仍然比较严峻,不达标率高达47%,密闭性和气液比不达标率尤为显著,集中式油气回收系统不达标率高于分散式。     

Initial efficiencies of air cleaners for the removal of nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds

The objective of this research was to measure the initial effective cleaning rates (ECRs) of selected air cleaners for removing nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and six representative volatile organic compounds (VOC) from air. Four portable air cleaners, representing different principles of particle removal and incorporating activated carbon, were investigated. Experiments were conducted in a closed room-size environmental chamber using analyte concentrations similar to those reported in residences. Effects of relative humidity, temperature, filter particle loading and saturation of the adsorbents on the ECRs were not investigated in this preliminary study. However, the effect of extended usage was investigated for one air cleaner.Two of the air cleaners were found to be reasonably effective initially in removing NO₂ and five of the six VOC. These two devices had relatively high flow rates and the greatest amounts of activated carbon. None of the devices removed dichloromethane, the VOC with the highest vapor pressure. One air cleaner emitted 1,1,1-trichloroethane and formaldehyde. After being used in a residence for 150 h, the ECRs for the air cleaner which had the highest initial values decreased to 50% or less of the initial ECRs. This use was only about 15% of the recommended filter lifetime. Conversion of NO₂ to NO was also observed for this device but only after it had been used in the residence.     

Source profiles and ozone formation potentials of volatile organic compounds in three traffic tunnels in Kaohsiung,Taiwan

Twenty-five volatile organic compounds (VOCs) up to C10 were measured using Carbotrap multibed thermal adsorption tubes during the morning and afternoon rush hours on four different days in all three traffic tunnels in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. A gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a flame-ionization detector (FID) was then used to analyze the VOCs. The analytical results show that VOC concentrations increase with traffic flow rate, and emission profiles in the three tunnels are mostly in the range C2-C6. In addition to the traffic conditions and vehicle type, the pattern of emissions in each tunnel was also influenced by other factors, such as vehicle age, nearby pollution sources, and the spatial or temporal variation of VOCs in the urban atmosphere. The ozone formation potential (OFP) in each tunnel was assessed based on the maximum incremental reactivities of the organic species, demonstrating that OFP increases with traffic flow rate. Vehicle distribution influences the contributions of organic group to OFP in a tunnel. Meanwhile, when ranked in descending order of contribution to OFP in all tunnels, the organic groups followed the sequence olefins, aromatics, and paraffins.     

Photochemical ozone creation potentials for oxygenated volatile organic compounds: sensitivity to variations in kinetic and mechanistic parameters

The sensitivity of Photochemical Ozone Creation Potentials (POCP) to a series of systematic variations in the rates and products of reactions of radical intermediates and oxygenated products is investigated for the C₄ alcohols, 1-butanol (n-butanol) and 2-methyl-1-propanol (i-butanol), using the recently developed Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) as the base case. The POCP values are determined from the calculated formation of ozone in the boundary layer over a period of approximately five days along an idealised straight line trajectory, using a photochemical trajectory model and methodology described in detail previously. The results allow the relative impacts on calculated ozone formation of various classes of chemical reaction within the degradation chemistry to be assessed. The calculated POCP is found to be very insensitive to many of the changes investigated. However, it is found to be sensitive to variations in the rate coefficient for the initiating reaction with OH (k_OH), although the sensitivity decreases with increasing k_OH. The POCP appears to vary approximately linearly with k_OH at low values (i.e. k_OH less than ca. 4×10^-13 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1), whereas at high reactivities (i.e. k_OH greater than ca. 4×10^-11 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1), the calculated POCP value is comparatively insensitive to the precise value of k_OH. The POCP is also very sensitive to mechanistic changes which influence the yields of unreactive oxygenated products (i.e. those with OH reactivities below ca. 10^-12 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1), for example acetone. The propensity of the organic compound to produce organic nitrates (which act as comparatively unreactive reservoirs for free radicals and NO_x) also appears to have a notable influence on the calculated POCP. Recently reported information relevant to the degradation of oxygenated VOCs is then used to update the chemical schemes for the 17 alcohols and glycols, 10 ethers and glycol ethers, and 8 esters included in the MCM, and new schemes are incorporated for dimethoxy methane (CH₃OCH₂OCH₃) and dimethyl carbonate (CH₃OC(O)OCH₃), which are proposed fuel additives. New or updated POCP values are calculated for all 37 oxygenated VOCs and, where applicable, these are compared with the previous POCP values and reported Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR) values.     

Climatic forcing of nitrogen oxides through changes in tropospheric ozone and methane; global 3D model studies

A three-dimensional global chemical tracer model and a radiation transfer model have been used to study the role of NO_x emissions for radiative forcing of climate. Through production of tropospheric O₃, NO_x emissions lead to positive radiative forcing and warming. But by affecting the concentration of OH radicals, NO_x also reduces the levels of CH₄, thereby giving negative forcing and cooling. The lifetime of NO_x varies from hours to days, giving large spatial variations in the levels of NO_x. We have selected geographical regions representing different chemical and physical conditions, and chemical and radiative effects of reducing NO_x emissions by 20% in each region are studied. Due to nonlinearities in the O₃ chemistry as well as differences in convective activity, there are large geographical differences in the effect of NO_x on O₃ as well as variations in the annual profile of the changes. The effect of NO_x emissions on methane is also found to depend on the localisation of the emissions. The calculated ozone and methane forcing are of similar magnitude but of opposite sign. The methane effect acts on a global scale with a delay of approximately a decade, while the ozone effect is of regional character and occurs during weeks.     

Inhalation exposure to volatile organic compounds in the printing industry

ABSTRACT

This study reports on the occupational inhalation exposure to VOCs of workers in the Kuwaiti printing industry. Using the evacuated canister methodology, we targeted 72 VOCs in three printeries and compared the concentrations to previous reports and relevant occupational exposure levels (OELs). We found that recent efforts in the printing industry to reduce VOC usage had been successful, as concentrations of key hazardous VOCs were substantially lower than anticipated. On the other hand, nearly all target VOCs were found. Non-production areas were sampled along with the offset printing areas, another strength of this study, and revealed exposures to hazardous VOCs among administers and digital printer and CTP operators. Exposure to ototoxic VOCs amounted to 1–3% of the OEL, consisting mostly of ethylbenzene, which was likely in use in two of the study printeries. Exposure to carcinogenic or probably carcinogenic VOCs was 15–20% of the OEL at four locations across the three printeries, consisting mostly of vinyl chloride and benzyl chloride. Vinyl chloride VOC was partially sourced from outdoors, but was also likely used inside the study printeries. Interestingly, concentrations of vinyl chloride were similar in most sampling locations to that of CFC-114, a CFC banned by the Montreal Protocol and not commonly used as a refrigerant. This unexpected finding suggests further study is warranted to identify the use of these VOCs in printeries. Exposure to hazardous VOCs up to nearly 50% of the OEL, consisting largely of bromoform and vinyl chloride. Bromoform was found in all the study printeries, sourced partially from outdoor air. The higher concentrations found inside the study printeries likely resulted from the use of the desalinated water for washing. This finding raises of emissions from sources other than blanket washes, and inks, etc. adding to the total VOC load in printery indoor air.

Implications: Results from this study indicate that efforts to reduce worker exposure to VOCs particularly dangerous to human health in recent years have been successful, but there is still much to be done to protect workers. Exposures to ototoxic and carcinogenic VOCs were identified, among both production and non-production workers. Unexpected findings included the apparent use in printing activities of the carcinogen vinyl chloride and CFC-114, banned under the Montreal Protocol. Observed lapses in safety procedures included failure to utilize ventilation systems and closing doors between work areas, indicating management and worker education should remain a priority.     

Estimating the ozone formation potential of volatile aromatic compounds in vehicle tunnels.

Two vehicle tunnels located in the Taipei area were selected to study the ozone formation potential of volatile aromatic compounds (VACs). Air samples in the two tunnels were collected using canisters. Analysis of VACs was conducted with a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometer. The total VOCs concentrations in Zefun tunnel ranged from 483.5 to 1032.2 (micrograms/m3) which increased with the increase in traffic volume. In the Lishin tunnel, the total VACs concentration ranged from 356.6 to 1961.3 (micrograms/m3) which was not well correlated with the traffic volume. The most predominant VACs in these vehicle tunnels were toluene and xylenes. Although the traffic volume and types of vehicles were not exactly the same, the characteristic ratios of the VACs concentrations were found to be similar. These results indicated that the existence of a specific characteristic ratio of VAC concentration was affected by the mobile sources. The maximum ozone formation potential resulted from the vehicles in the Lishin motorcycle tunnel which had higher values than the Zefun tunnel and much higher than the SPECIATE databases in the US via weighting the maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) scale.     

Partition of volatile organic compounds in activated sludge and wastewater

The Henry's law constant is important in the gas-liquid mass transfer process. Apparent dimensionless Henry's law constant, or the gas-liquid partition coefficient (K'H), for both hydrophilic (methanol, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone) and hydrophobic (toluene and p-xylene) organic compounds in deionized (DI) water, a wastewater with a maximum total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content of 700 mg/L, and DI water mixed with a maximum activated sludge suspended solid (SS) concentration of 40,000 mg/L were measured using the single equilibrium technique at 293 K. Experimental results demonstrate that the K'H of any of the test volatile organic compounds varied among three situations. First, the K'H of the hydrophilic compounds in mixed liquor with the maximum SS concentration was 9-21% higher than those in DI water. Second, those for toluene and p-xylene were 77% and 93% lower, respectively, in the mixed liquor with the maximum SS concentration. Third, the K'H values of all of the test compounds in the wastewater were only 10% lower than those in DI water. A model was developed to relate K'H with wastewater DOC and the SS concentration in the activated sludge using an organic carbon-water partition coefficient and activated sludge-water partition coefficient as model parameters. The model was verified and model parameters for test compounds estimated.     

香港港口氮氧化物和臭氧的变化特征和周末效应

为了研究香港港口氮氧化物和臭氧（NO2、NOx和O3）的周末效应,本文收集香港港口15年的污染数据进行统计分析。首先分析污染物的日变化特征,结果发现工作日NO2和NOx浓度高于周六,周六浓度高于周日的情形。与此相反,工作日O3浓度低于周六,周六浓度低于周日。其次分析污染物年变化,结果表明近些年NO2和NOx呈降低趋势,O3呈增加趋势。还发现NO2、NOx和O3的周末效应减弱。然后使用线性回归分析光化学氧化剂（OX,O3+NO2）的局地和区域贡献,结果发现受港口作业周期性变化的影响,OX的局地贡献表现出工作日高于周六,周六高于周日的周末效应现象。最后分析了OX局地贡献的昼夜差异,结果显示白天OX局地贡献的周末效应明显强于晚上。     

Modeling analyses of the effects of changes in nitrogen oxides emissions from the electric power sector on ozone levels in the eastern United States

In this paper, we examine the changes in ambient ozone concentrations simulated by the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model for summer 2002 under three different nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission scenarios. Two emission scenarios represent best estimates of 2002 and 2004 emissions; they allow assessment of the impact of the NOx emissions reductions imposed on the utility sector by the NOx State Implementation Plan (SIP) Call. The third scenario represents a hypothetical rendering of what NOx emissions would have been in 2002 if no emission controls had been imposed on the utility sector. Examination of the modeled median and 95th percentile daily maximum 8-hr average ozone concentrations reveals that median ozone levels estimated for the 2004 emission scenario were less than those modeled for 2002 in the region most affected by the NOx SIP Call. Comparison of the "no-control" with the "2002" scenario revealed that ozone concentrations would have been much higher in much of the eastern United States if the utility sector had not implemented NOx emission controls; exceptions occurred in the immediate vicinity of major point sources where increased NO titration tends to lower ozone levels.     

南京北郊春季地面臭氧与氮氧化物浓度特征

2009年3—5月,采用NO-NO2-NH3分析仪和O3分析仪对南京市北郊大气O3、NO、NO2和NOx浓度进行连续观测,研究南京北郊春季大气臭氧与氮氧化物浓度变化特征。结果表明:O3浓度的日变化呈单峰型结构,白天较高,夜晚较低,在06:00左右出现最低值,14:00左右出现峰值,且工作日的O3浓度值明显高于周末的O3浓度值。NOx的日变化呈现双峰型变化规律,早上07:00左右出现第1个峰值,下午14:00—15:00左右达到最低值,午夜23:00左右出现第2个峰值。从3—5月份,NO浓度明显下降,3月份的变化幅度比较大;NO2浓度则明显上升,5月份变化幅度较大。3—5月NO与O3之间呈显著的负相关关系,4—5月NO2、NOx与O3呈显著的负相关关系。     

Sources of ambient volatile organic compounds and their contributions to photochemical ozone formation at a site in the Pearl River Delta, southern China

The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model and the Observation Based Model (OBM) were combined to analyze volatile organic compound (VOC) data collected at a suburban site (WQS) in the PRD region. The purposes are to estimate the VOC source apportionment and investigate the contributions of these sources and species of these sources to the O₃ formation in PRD. Ten VOC sources were identified. We further applied the PMF-extracted concentrations of these 10 sources into the OBM and found "solvent usage 1", "diesel vehicular emissions" and "biomass/biofuel burning" contributed most to the O₃ formation at WQS. Among these three sources, higher Relative Incremental Reactivity (RIR)-weighted values of ethene, toluene and m/p-xylene indicated that they were mainly responsible for local O₃ formation in the region. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the sources of "diesel vehicular emissions", "biomass/biofuel burning" and "solvent usage 1" had low uncertainties whereas "gasoline evaporation" showed the highest uncertainty.     

Estimation of volatile organic compounds in Kuwaiti houses after the Gulf war

Interest in indoor air quality is steadily increasing. Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is associated with health effects as diverse as childhood respiratory disease, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. In an effort to assess the environmental impact indoors from possible sources of VOCs, such as (i) open oil lakes, (ii) chemical and petrochemical industries and (iii) indoor pollution from household items, concentrations of aliphatic and aromatic VOCs, comprising n-hexane to n-hexadecane, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, methanol and o-dichlorobenzene, were measured in indoor air samples from seven different cities in Kuwait using a gas chromatograph. The data for the period March to May 1993 are presented. The VOCs, as measured, were surprisingly low and they are below the concentrations set by the American Hygienists Association. However, although the concentration of the estimated VOCs being low, were cumulative effects of them entering the human body and water sources cannot be ruled out.     

Priority volatile organic compounds in surface waters of the southern North Sea

The occurrence of 25 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was studied from April 1998 to October 2000 in the southern North Sea. Target VOCs were selected from lists of priority pollutants for the marine environment and included, e.g., chlorinated short-chain hydrocarbons (CHCs), monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs), and chlorinated monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CMAHs). Water samples were taken from the Channel, the Belgian Continental Shelf, the mouth of the Scheldt estuary and the Southern Bight, and were analysed by purge-and-trap and high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. All data were produced by analyses deemed 'in control' by a rigorous quality assurance/quality control program provided by QUASIMEME (Quality Assurance of Information for Marine Environmental Monitoring in Europe). Chloroform and trichloroethene were commonly detected at concentrations up to 1900 and 270 ng l(-1), respectively. The other CHCs were generally found below 5 ng l(-1), and rarely exceeded 10 ng l(-1). Concentrations of MAHs were at least one order of magnitude higher than those of the CHCs. The higher levels were attributed to anthropogenic emissions from oil-related activities in coastal areas. CMAHs, except chlorobenzene and 1,4-dichlorobenzene, were hardly detected in North Sea waters. The levels of several CHCs and MAHs were shown to decrease compared to previous investigations in 1994-1995, probably as a result of on-going emission reduction efforts. The occurrence of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, for instance, was substantially reduced since the Montreal Protocol was implemented in 1995.     

Ambient levels of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere of Greater Cairo

Ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) samples were collected at three locations, two in urban areas in Greater Cairo (Ramsis and Haram) and background one in rural area in Menofiya province (Kafr El-Akram), during the period of June, 2004–August, 2004. The highest concentrations of VOCs were found in Ramsis, whereas the lowest concentrations were detected in Kafr El-Akram, and the difference in mean concentrations were statistically significant (p<0.001). Among all of the measured VOCs species, the contribution of individual VOC to the total VOCs concentration were very similar in Ramsis and Haram locations, toluene was the most abundant compound followed by (m, p)-xylene. This similarity implies a similar emission sources of VOCs in both urban locations, vehicle exhausts are the dominant one. Greater Cairo has high levels of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons compared with many polluted cities in the world. The BTEX (benzene: toluene: ethylbenzene: xylenes) concentration ratios were (2.01:4.94:1:4.95), (2.03:4.91:1:4.87) and (2.31:2.98:1:2.59) in Ramsis, Haram and Kafr El-Akram, respectively. The average toluene/benzene (T/B), (m, p)-xylene/benzene ((m, p)-X/B) and o-xylene/benzene (o-X/B) concentration ratios were 2.45, 1.61and 0.85, respectively in Ramsis and 2.42, 1.61 and 0.78, respectively in Haram. The ratios in both urban locations were of the same magnitude and close to those obtained from automotive exhausts, indicating that the ambient BTEX originate mainly from motor vehicle emissions. However, the (T/B), ((m, p)-X/B) and (o-X/B) concentration ratios were 1.29, 0.71 and 0.41 in Kafr El-Akram, respectively. These ratios were lower than those found in Ramsis and Haram locations and in automotive exhaust, suggesting that the BTEX in Kafr El-Akram do not come from a local source and are exclusively results from the diffusion and dispersion of VOCs produced from the traffic density in the surrounding cities. Significant positive correlation coefficients (p<0.001) were found between the concentrations of BTEX compounds at the three sampling locations. The diurnal variation of VOCs concentrations in Ramsis location showed two daily peaks linked to traffic density.     

Measuring partition and diffusion coefficients for volatile organic compounds in vinyl flooring

Interactions between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and vinyl flooring (VF), a relatively homogenous, diffusion-controlled building material, were characterized. The sorption/desorption behavior of VF was investigated using single-component and binary systems of seven common VOCs ranging in molecular weight from n-butanol to n-pentadecane. The simultaneous sorption of VOCs and water vapor by VF was also investigated. Rapid determination of the material/air partition coefficient (K) and the material-phase diffusion coefficient (D) for each VOC was achieved by placing thin VF slabs in a dynamic microbalance and subjecting them to controlled sorption/desorption cycles. K and D are shown to be independent of concentration for all of the VOCs and water vapor. For the four alkane VOCs studied, K correlates well with vapor pressure and D correlates well with molecular weight, providing a means to estimate these parameters for other alkane VOCs. While the simultaneous sorption of a binary mixture of VOCs is non-competitive, the presence of water vapor increases the uptake of VOCs by VF. This approach can be applied to other diffusion-controlled materials and should facilitate the prediction of their source/sink behavior using physically-based models.