Individuals spend about 25% of their time in non-residentialindoor microenvironments. For some of these microenvironments, particularly stores and restaurants, exposuresto volatile or
ganic compounds (VOCs), have not beenwell characterized. In the Boston Exposure Assessment inMicroenvironments (BEAM) study, samplin
g usin
g scriptedactivities was conducted in stores, restaurants, andtransportation in the summer of 2003 and
winters of 2004and 2005. A suite of VOCs includin
g hydrocarbons, severalchlorinated compounds, and aldehydes was analyzed.Nine store types were sampled usin
g a composite desi
gnto enable a
greater number of stores to be visited.Stores had hi
gher concentrations of formaldehyde, toluene,ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene than other microenvironments, particularly in certain store types. Geometricmean formaldehyde levels were hi
ghest in the housewaresstores, at 53
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g/m
3 (95% CI = 43, 66). Geometric meantoluene levels were hi
ghest in multipurpose stores, at 76
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g/m
3 (95% CI = 50, 118). The levels observed in storeswere several times hi
gher than levels found in transportationmicroenvironments, and indicate stron
g indoor sources.In contrast, benzene did not have si
gnificantly hi
gher levelsin stores than typically found outdoors. Concentrationsof formaldehyde and benzene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, andstyrene were stron
gly influenced by the presence ofsmokin
g in the dinin
g microenvironment. Chloroform levelswere hi
gher in restaurants than in other microenvironments,with a
geometric mean of 1.1
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g/m
3 (95% CI = 0.7, 1.8).The VOC concentrations found in stores and restaurants inthis study are a potentially important source of exposurefor sensitive individuals or people who work in thesemicroenvironments.