Evaluation of Volatile Organic Compounds and Carbonyl Compounds Present in the Cabins of Newly Produced, Medium- and Large-Size Coaches in China.
An air-conditioned coach is an important form of transportation in modern motorized society; as a result, there is an increasing concern of in-vehicle air pollution. In this study, we aimed to identify and quantify the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbonyl compounds (CCs) in air samples collected from the cabins of newly produced, medium- and large-size coaches. Among the identified VOCs and CCs, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein/acetone, and isovaleraldehyde were relatively abundant in the cabins. Time was found to affect the emissions of the contaminants in the coaches. Except for benzaldehyde, valeraldehyde and benzene, the highest in-vehicle concentrations of VOCs and CCs were observed on the 15th day after coming off the assembly line, and the concentrations exhibited an approximately inverted U-shaped pattern as a function of time. Interestingly, this study also showed that the interior temperature of the coaches significantly affected the VOCs emissions from the interior materials, whereas the levels of CCs were mainly influenced by the relative humidity within the coaches. In China, guidelines and regulations for the in-vehicle air quality assessment of the coaches have not yet been issued. The results of this study provide further understanding of the in-vehicle air quality of air-conditioned coaches and can be used in the development of both specific and general rules regarding medium- and large-size coaches.
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. yylu@iue.ac.cn.|College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. yylu@iue.ac.cn.
Yan-Yang
YY
Lu
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. ylin@iue.ac.cn.
Yi
Y
Lin
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. hzhang@iue.ac.cn.
Han
H
Zhang
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. dxding@iue.ac.cn.|College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. dxding@iue.ac.cn.
Dongxiao
D
Ding
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. xiasun@iue.ac.cn.
Xia
X
Sun
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. qshuang@iue.ac.cn.
Qiansheng
Q
Huang
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. lflin@iue.ac.cn.
Lifeng
L
Lin
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. lywchen@163.com.
Ya-Jie
YJ
Chen
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. ylchi@iue.ac.cn.
Yu-Lang
YL
Chi
Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. sjdong@iue.ac.cn.|Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. sjdong@iue.ac.cn.
Sijun
S
Dong
D000389:Air Conditioning; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis*; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000447:Aldehydes; D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
carbonyl compounds (CCs); coach; humidity; in-vehicle; temperature; volatile organic compounds (VOCs)