title: [Investigation of air pollution in a shopping center and employees' personal exposure level].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the concentrations of chemicals found inside a shopping center (SC), we investigated the condition of air pollution in a SC and the personal exposure level of SC employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was performed in June 2006 in Kyushu. The chemicals studied were volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes. The chemicals were collected by a personal passive sampler.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-one VOCs and aldehydes were detected inside the SC. The results showed that the concentrations of all the chemicals detected in indoor air were less than those specified in the indoor air quality guideline of Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan. The chemical concentrations in the SC decreased in the order of food corner > electric, clothing corner > outdoor and were clearly higher than those outdoors. Therefore, it is thought that the source of chemicals is indoors. The high indoor concentration of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol may be due to diffusion from the walls and floors. In addition, it is suggested that the personal exposure condition of the employees reflected the indoor concentration of each sales floor. The exposure level to formaldehyde was higher at nonworking time than at working time, suggesting that a larger exposure source exists in the place of residence than in the work place.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that indoor air quality in SC is maintained at good levels. This might be because of the Japanese strict regulations that require administrations of large-scale buildings to provide adequate ventilation and perform regular measurement of indoor air quality.
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki.
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kunugita
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katoh
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamano
authors.forename: Iwao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arashidani
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016273:Occupational Exposure
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D005557:Formaldehyde