Concentrations and sources of VOCs in urban domestic and public microenvironments.
Concentrations of 15 VOCs including 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and styrene were measured in a wide range of urban microenvironments, viz: homes, offices, restaurants, pubs, department stores, coach and train stations, cinemas, libraries, laboratories, perfume shops, heavily trafficked roadside locations, buses, trains, and automobiles. For most target VOCs-including 1,3-butadiene and benzene-mean concentrations at heavily trafficked roadside locations were exceeded by those in automobiles and were comparable to those in pubs and train stations. With regard to indoor-outdoor relationships in homes, this study revealed higher mean indoor concentrations, no correlation between simultaneously measured indoor and outdoor concentrations, and significantly different patterns of diurnal variation. Thus-in poorly ventilated buildings-indoor emission source strength is considered a more significant influence on VOC concentrations than infiltration of outdoor air. In the six smoking homes studied, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) was found to make a substantial contribution to concentrations of 1,3-butadiene. This finding was based on the significantly higher concentrations detected in smoking compared to nonsmoking homes, the significant correlation between 1,3-butadiene concentrations and those of 3-ethenylpyridine (an ETS marker), factor analysis, and the results of a source apportionment exercise based on ratios of 1,3-butadiene to 3-ethenylpyridine.
Kim
Y M
YM
Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Harrad
S
S
Harrison
R M
RM
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis*; D002070:Butadienes / Q000032:analysis*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D012907:Smoking; D020058:Styrene / Q000032:analysis*; D014505:Urban Population; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D014691:Ventilation; D014835:Volatilization
D002070:Butadienes; D002273:Carcinogens; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D020058:Styrene; D001554:Benzene; C031763:1,3-butadiene