Subjective reactions to volatile organic compounds as air pollutants

Human subjective reactions to indoor air pollution in the form of volatile organic compounds in five concentrations ⩽ mg m⁻³ were examined in a climate chamber under controlled conditions in a balanced experimental design. The reactions of 25 subjects were registered in two questionnaires containing 25 and six questions and on a linear analogue rating scale. Each subject was tested for one day including four runs in each of the five treatments of 50 min duration. Dose effects were found for perceived odour intensity at 3 mgm⁻³. Air quality, need for ventilation, irritation of eye and nose showed significant effect at 8 mg m⁻³. Significant reduced well being was reported at 25 mgm⁻³. The analyses indicated that lower threshold for some of these effects would have been found if more subjects or longer exposure-times had been used. Gender, age, occupational education and smoking habits were co-factors for many of the symptoms reported.     

Determining indoor air quality and identifying the origin of odour episodes in indoor environments

A methodology for identifying volatile organic compounds (VOC) and determining air quality of indoor air has been developed. The air samples are collected using pump samplers by the inhabitants when they perceive odorous and/or discomfort episodes. Glass multi-sorbent tubes are connected to the pump samplers for the retention of VOC. The analysis is performed by automatic thermal desorption (ATD) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This methodology can be applied in cases of sick building syndrome (SBS) evaluation, in which building occupants experience a series of varied symptoms that appear to be linked to time spent in the building. Chemical pollutants concentrations (e.g., VOC) have been described to contribute to SBS. To exemplify the methodology, a qualitative determination and an evaluation of VOC present were performed in a dwelling where the occupants experienced the SBS symptoms. Higher total VOC (TVOC) value was detected in episodes in indoor air (1.33 ( 1.53 mg/m3) compared to outdoor air (0.71 ( 0.46 mg/m3). The concentrations of individual VOCs, such as ethanol, acetone, isopropanol, 1-butanol, acetic acid, acetonitrile and 1-metoxy-2-propanol, were also higher than the expected for a standard dwelling. The external source of VOC was found to be a not declared activity of storage and manipulation of solvents located at the bottom of a contiguous building.     

室内空气污染物的种类及控制措施

室内空气污染物包括悬浮固体污染物和气体污染物。其中可吸入颗粒物对人体呼吸系统有极大危害，引起肺炎、肺癌等疾病，主要来源于燃料的燃烧、吸烟以及由室外进入室内的颗粒物。气体污染物主要包括有机气体污染物(挥发性有机物、甲烷等)和无机气体污染物(SO2、NOx、CO等)，它们可引起病态建筑综合症、化学物质过敏症(MCS)等相关病症。本文分析了室内空气污染的影响因素，并据此提出了控制室内空气污染以及提高室内空气质量的方法与措施。     

室内空气污染对人体健康的危害效应及其防治途径

文章主要论述室内空气污染的来源、危害及其防治途径.研究表明,建筑物、居室装修、室内家具、厨房油烟、家用电器、人体自身成为室内空气污染的主要来源;并重点分析了甲醛、氡、氨、苯、挥发性有机物(VOCS)对人体健康的危害效应:可诱发白血病、导致哮喘、引起肺疾病、诱导过敏性疾病、导致空调综合症、发生多重化学物敏感症(MCS)、产生不良建筑物综合症(SBS)等危害效应.最后对室内空气污染的治理提出了建议.     

Characteristics of airborne particles inside southern California museums

The concentrations and chemical composition of suspended particulate matter were measured in both the fine and total size modes inside and outside five southern California museums over summer and winter periods. The seasonally averaged indoor/outdoor ratios for particulate matter mass concentrations ranged from 0.16 to 0.96 for fine particles and from 0.06 to 0.53 for coarse particles, with the lower values observed for buildings with sophisticated ventilation systems which include filters for particulate matter removal. Museums with deliberate particle filtration systems showed indoor fine particle concentrations generally averaging less than 10 μg m⁻³. One museum with no environmental control system showed indoor fine particle concentrations averaging nearly 60 μg m⁻³ in winter and coarse particle concentrations in the 30–40 μg m⁻³ range. Analyses of indoor vs outdoor concentrations of major chemical species indicated that indoor sources of organic matter may exist at all sites, but that none of the other measured species appear to have major indoor sources at the museums studied. Significant fractions of the dark-colored fine elemental (black) carbon and soil dust particles present in outdoor air are able to penetrate to the indoor atmosphere of the museums studied, and may constitute a soiling hazard to works of art displayed in museums.     

Patterns of daily exposure to TSP and CO in the Garhwal Himalaya

Daily integrated exposure to TSP and CO was assessed by personal and stationary sampling of air in six microenvironments. Time-budget surveys were conducted to determine how much time four population groups (adult women, children, adult men and youths) spend in these microenvironments. Burning of biofuels in traditional unvented cookstoves is the most important anthropogenic source of pollutants in the study area—a rural and hilly region in the Garhwal Himalaya.Concentrations of pollutants measured at the time of cooking were found to be very high but comparable to those measured in the Indian plains (5.6 mg m⁻³ and 21 ppm for TSP and CO, respectively). The daily exposure of adult women to TSP and CO was estimated to be 37 mg h m⁻³ and 110 ppm h, respectively. Daily exposure, within each of the four population groups, was found to be very uniform across individuals for both the pollutants. Patterns of concentrations and daily exposure, as influenced by the time of the day, season and altitude are discussed.     

装修房屋室内空气的污染

调查了装修后的住宅和办公室室内空气中挥发性有机物,同时对室外空气进行了调查.共检出20多种挥发性有机物.装修后室内甲醛和苯及其他苯系物含量明显高于室外.装修后室内空气甲醛质量浓度为0.1～2.4 mg/m3,在装修后短期内甲醛质量浓度更高,有时达到13.4 mg/m3;苯质量浓度为0.03～0.17 mg/m3.装修一年内甲醛、苯和苯乙烯普遍超标.卤代烃含量一般是数个μg/m3,与室外没有显著性差异.      

Johnson & Ettinger模型和Volasoil模型在污染物室内挥发风险评价中的应用和比较

在土壤污染和地下水污染的现场,挥发过程是挥发性污染物暴露的重要途径.设置典型土壤污染场景作为研究对象,选取Johnson&Ettinger模型和Volasoil模型进行室内挥发过程的模拟和暴露浓度的计算.对两个模型中污染物的运移机理进行了比较和分析.尽管方法和参数选择有所不同,二者对污染源处三相平衡浓度的计算本质上是一致的.暴露浓度的计算结果表明,两个模型对室内挥发过程的模拟可能会有较大差异,与污染现场的具体情况有关.参数影响的分析表明,污染源顶部埋深对二者暴露浓度的影响一致,Johnson&Ettinger模型对污染土壤含水率的大小非常敏感.建议考虑房屋结构的实际情况,选用或者改进模型进行室内挥发过程的评价.     

Unusually high indoor radon concentrations

Measurements of indoor radon concentrations in the village Umhausen (2600 inhabitants, Ötztal valley, Tyrol, Austria) revealed unusually high indoor radon concentrations up to 274,000 Bq m⁻³. The medians measured on the basements were 3750 Bq m⁻³ in winter and 361 Bq m⁻³ in summer, those on the ground floors were 1180 Bq m⁻³ and 210 Bq m⁻³, respectively. Seventy-one per cent of the houses showed basement radon concentrations above the Austrian action level of 400 Bq m⁻³ in winter, 33% in summer. There are indications that the high radon concentrations are due to a giant rock slide about 8700 years ago. The unusually high radon concentrations in Umhausen coincide with a statistically significant increase in lung cancer mortality. For the period 1970–1991 the age and sex standardized mortality rate is 3.85 (95% confidence interval: 2.9 to 5.1). The control population is the total population of Tyrol (630,000 inhabitants).     

Indoor/outdoor relationships of airborne ionic substances: Comparison of electronic equipment room and factory environments

In previous work, the indoor and outdoor airborne concentrations and indoor surface accumulation rates of ionic substances contained in fine (<2.5) and coarse (2.5–15 μm) particles were determined for low-occupancy electronic equipment rooms. This work has now been extended to an electronic equipment manufacturing environment.Comparison of indoor and outdoor concentrations at the manufacturing facility for both fine and coarse particles show substantially different behavior from that seen for the electronic equipment rooms.As was found previously, the dominant species in fine particles are ammonium and sulfate, which closely track each other. Their indoor and outdoor concentrations also track, but the indoor/outdoor ratios are larger by a factor of 4–5 than those found for the electronic equipment rooms. Sodium shows tracking behavior similar to ammonium and sulfate and its indoor/outdoor ratio is also large. Other ions in fine particles show elevated indoor/outdoor ratios for some sampling intervals and tracking is not evident, thought it may be masked by the large fractional error associated with species with low concentrations. There is no dominant species in the coarse fraction. Sodium and chloride track each other strongly indoors and outdoors and the indoor and outdoor concentrations of each track closely. Potassium, as well as chloride, exhibit indoor/outdoor ratios that are sometimes much larger than 1.Modelling of indoor/outdoor relationships using a mass-balance model has shown that indoor concentrations can be accurately predicted from outdoor concentrations for species with no indoor sources. The model also shows that the source generation rates for fine and coarse particles indoors range from 0 to 6.6 and 2.3 to 5.8 mg min⁻¹, respectively, for a room with a volume of 6336m³.     

汽车涂料生产环节VOCs的排放特征及安全评价

选择某汽车涂料的生产车间为研究对象,根据汽车涂料生产工艺的不同环节,在3个生产车间选定了8个采样点,用气质联用仪分析了汽车涂料车间内不同生产环节的挥发性有机物(volatile organic compounds,VOCs)的种类及浓度水平,并通过比较各种VOC的浓度与国家卫生部规定的工作场所有毒物质职业接触限值中短时接触容许浓度,对车间工人健康的影响进行了评价.结果表明,汽车涂料生产车间内共检测出15种主要的VOCs,包括苯、甲苯、乙苯、二甲苯、乙酸乙酯、乙酸丁酯、甲基异丁基酮、丙二醇甲醚醋酸酯、三甲苯、乙二醇丁醚等,其浓度检出范围为0.51~593.14 mg·m-3.生产车间各生产环节处TVOCs浓度显著不同,同一生产环节不同批次的气体样品中VOCs浓度也存在较大差异.二甲苯和乙酸丁酯是生产车间室内空气的主要VOCs.在生产高峰期部分VOCs浓度超过了工作场所有毒物质职业接触限值,需采取相应控制措施以保障工人健康.     

苏州工业园区室内外颗粒物中多溴联苯醚污染特征及人体暴露水平

利用大流量主动采样技术在苏州市工业园区工厂车间、办公室、住宅区和风景区,采集PM₁₀样品,GC-MS测定PM₁₀中8种PBDEs的含量.室内PM₁₀中PBDEs总浓度范围为9.22~64.15 pg·m^-3（均值为20.93 pg·m^-3）,室外样品中PBDEs总浓度范围为1.06~8.44 pg·m^-3（均值为5.11 pg·m^-3）,室内含量显著高于室外含量.PM₁₀中∑₈PBDEs平均浓度从高到低顺序依次为工业车间、办公室、住宅区和室外大气,与其他地区室内外颗粒物含量相比,苏州室内外大气颗粒物中PBDEs都处于较低水平.室内外大气中BDE-209是最主要化合物（平均占总PBDEs的63%）,其次为BDE-99和BDE-47.车间员工、办公室员工和儿童的PBDEs日呼吸摄入剂量分别为3.75、2.78和2.60 pg·（kg·d）^-1,这表明苏州居民呼吸暴露PBDEs的潜在健康危害并不明显.     

The assessment of personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide in epidemiological studies

Personal and indoor exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂ were studied in a population of housewives and children. Personal exposure, indoor concentrations and peak exposures were measured using Palmes' diffusion tubes during three measurement periods of 1 week within 1 year. Very high peak concentrations were found in the kitchens (up to 2000 μg m⁻³).Three different estimates of personal exposure were constructed using indoor concentrations and time budget data. All three were found to be closely associated with measured personal exposure.The variability over time of personal and indoor concentrations, and of the three exposure estimates was investigated in a one-way analysis of variance. The within-location or within-subject variances of indoor concentrations and estimated personal exposures were found to be smaller, relative to the between-location or between-subject variances, than the within-subject variance of measured personal concentrations. The close association between measured indoor concentrations (or exposure estimates based on indoor concentrations) and measured personal exposure suggests that measuring indoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the home is sufficient to estimate personal exposure accurately.Short term peak concentrations were found to be only weakly associated with indoor NO₂ sources and weekly average indoor NO₂ concentrations. Repeated exposure to short term peak concentrations has been suggested that diffusion type measurements of personal and indoor exposure to NO₂, which are widely used suggests that diffusion type measurements of personal and indoor exposure to NO₂, which are widely used in epidemiologic studies, may not adequately reflect the most biologically relevant exposure.     

Exposure measurement, risk assessment and source identification for exposure of traffic assistants to particle-bound PAHs in Tianjin, China

To investigate the levels of exposure to particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH) and to estimate the risk these levels pose to traffic assistants(TAs) in Tianjin(a megacity in North China), a measurement campaign(33 all-day exposure samples, 25 occupational-exposure samples and 10 indoor samples) was conducted to characterize the TAs' exposure to PAHs, assess the cancer risk and identify the potential sources of exposure. The average total exposure concentration of 14 PAHs was approximately 2871 ± 928 ng/m3(on-duty), and 1622 ± 457 ng/m3(all-day). The indoor PAHs level was 1257 ± 107 ng/m3. After 8000 Monte Carlo simulations, the cancer risk resulting from exposure to PAHs was found to be approximately 1.05 × 10-4. A multivariate analysis was applied to identify the potential sources, and the results showed that, in addition to vehicle exhaust, coal combustion and cooking fumes were also another two important contributors to personal PAH exposure. The diagnostic ratios of PAH compounds agree with the source apportionment results derived from principal component analysis.     

Levels of airborne man-made mineral fibres in U.K. dwellings. I—Fibre levels during and after installation of insulation

This paper gives the details of airborne levels of man-made mineral fibres (MMMF) found during installation of loft insulation in 12 dwellings. About 250 samples of air were collected and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).Respirable fibre levels measured in static samples collected in the lofts during installation generally were < 0.1 f ml⁻¹. In living spaces respirable fibre levels were< 0.006 f ml⁻¹. Personal samples on the installers gave < 1 f ml⁻¹, with the exception of a fine glass fibre blanket. A few selected samples were also analyzed by phase contrast optical microscopy (PCOM) which showed lower values than those recorded by TEM. Static gravimetric concentrations in the lofts were in the 0.3–6.5 mg m⁻³ range, and in the living spaces 0.11–0.44 mg m⁻³, but in both environments most of this dust was not MMMF.     

北京某小学室内外VOC浓度及有毒害物种识别

采用美国EPA推荐的TO14/15方法定量分析了北京市某小学室内外夏季观测的空气样品,得到82种挥发性有机物（VOCs）的浓度水平及组成特征,对其中可能危害儿童健康的有毒有害物质进行了识别.结果表明,室内总VOCs浓度高于室外,烷烃是含量最丰富物种,平均占室内外空气中定量VOCs总浓度的32.8%.室内外VOCs组成相似,异戊烷、苯、甲苯、丙醛、丙烯和二氯甲烷为浓度优势物种,受到室外源的影响较大,室内的对二氯苯、环己烷及间二氯苯较为特征,前2种物质室内/室外浓度比例平均值分别为65.8和10.5,间二氯苯室内平均浓度为2.02×10^-9（体积分数）,而室外浓度低于检测限,这3种物质可能来自室内源. 1, 3-丁二烯、氯乙烯、苯和氯甲烷4种物质在学校室内、室外及儿童家中都超过1×10^-6的癌症风险值,平均风险值分别为1.3×10^-5、 6.4×10^-6、 5.1×10^-6和3.3×10^-6,小学室外、室内及儿童家中的累积癌症风险超过1×10^-6的癌症风险值24～39倍.丙烯醛未确认具有致癌性,但具有毒有害性,在室内外及儿童家中超过基准浓度13～72倍.     

Monitoring GHG from manure stores on organic and conventional dairy farms

Organic farming methods are claimed to be more environmentally friendly than conventional methods and the EU MIDAIR project had an overall aim to compare emissions from organic dairy farming with conventional methods of milk production. Manure stores are the second largest source of methane emissions (after enteric fermentation) on European dairy farming.The aim of this project was to measure green house gas (GHG) emissions from manures in covered and uncovered slurry stores and farm yard manure (FYM) heaps. The chosen method for measuring these emissions was the tracer ratio method, using sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) as the tracer gas, the limitations of this method prevented successful measurements being made on some of the stores and a modified method was used on the covered stores. The difference in concentration of the upwind and downwind samples and interfering sources were limiting factors. FYM emission measurements were successful only when the manure was stored indoors.Methane emissions were successfully measured over a 12 month period from the uncovered slurry stores. Emission rates from the uncovered slurry stores on the conventional farm and the organic farm ranged from 14.4 to 49.6 and from 12.4 to 42.3 g C m⁻³ d⁻¹, respectively, with the mean CH₄ emission rates of 35 and 26 g C m⁻³ d⁻¹. On both farms, nitrous oxide emissions were close to zero.Methane emissions measured from the indoor organic FYM in summer were 17.1 g C m⁻³ d⁻¹ and the nitrous oxide emission was 411 mg N m⁻³ d⁻¹.The covered slurry stores were in such close proximity to other GHG sources that the tracer ratio method was unsuitable and the air-injection method was adopted. The measured emissions from covered slurry stores of CH₄, CO₂ and NH₃ were, respectively, 14.9 g C m⁻³ d⁻¹, 12.9 g C m⁻³ d⁻¹ and 18.6 mg NH₃ m⁻² d⁻¹ of slurry in February and 12.0 g C m⁻³ d⁻¹, 9.5 g C m⁻³ d⁻¹ and 335 mg NH₃ m⁻² d⁻¹ slurry in March. No nitrous oxide production could be measured.     

新型填充式空气净化器净化甲醛效果与计算模拟

针对室内空气低浓度甲醛污染,设计填充附着纳米二氧化钛玻璃珠(3 mm)空气净化器,并在密闭房间内对其净化效果进行实验分析.结果表明,甲醛仞始浓度为0.727～1.815 mg/m3时,甲醛减少87.0%～93.8%,并建立了该空气净化器的反应速率方程.通过计算模拟,证实了净化器单个装置空气分布的均匀性.此外,还根据质量平衡建立了有甲醛持续释放污染房间内应用空气净化器后,甲醛浓度变化的数学模型,并通过实验验证了模拟结果的正确性.结果表明,间歇性应用此空气净化器可维持室内甲醛浓度低于国家空气质量标准0.1 mg/m3.     

The personal,indoor and outdoor concentrations of PM-10 measured in an industrial community during the winter

The concentrations of PM-10 were measured for 2 weeks in the winter of 1988 as part of the Total Human Environmental Exposure Study (THEES). Samples were taken simultaneously in a small city, Phillipsburg, NJ for outdoor and indoor microenvironments, and with personal monitors on non-smokers. There were four outdoor sites, eight indoor sites and fourteen individuals wearing personal monitors. The mean concentrations were 66, 48 and 42 μg m⁻³ for the personal, outdoor and indoor sites, respectively, with the personal samplers having 8.8% of the 24h averages above 150 μg m⁻³. The higher outdoor averages with respect to indoors were suspected to be related to more prevalent outdoor sources of coarse particles < 10 μm in diameter, and the lack of residential smokers to contribute to the indoor respirable subfraction. There was one day during the period when all the outdoor sites exceeded the 24 h PM-10 standard. Increased outdoor levels were also reflected in elevated indoor samples and the personal samples on that day. These would be a result of direct outdoor exposures and the penetration of outdoor PM-10 to the indoors.