Measured Concentrations of VOCs in Several Non-Residential Microenvironments in the United States

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• 作者：Miranda M. Loh ; E. Andres Houseman ; George M. Gray ; Jonathan I. Levy ; John D. Spengler ; Deborah H. Bennett
• 刊名：Environmental Science & Technology
• 出版年：2006
• 出版时间：November 15, 2006
• 年：2006
• 卷：40
• 期：22
• 页码：6903 - 6911
• 全文大小：261K
• 年卷期：v.40,no.22(November 15, 2006)
• ISSN：1520-5851

文摘

Individuals spend about 25% of their time in non-residentialindoor microenvironments. For some of these microenvironments, particularly stores and restaurants, exposuresto volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have not beenwell characterized. In the Boston Exposure Assessment inMicroenvironments (BEAM) study, sampling using scriptedactivities was conducted in stores, restaurants, andtransportation in the summer of 2003 and winters of 2004and 2005. A suite of VOCs including hydrocarbons, severalchlorinated compounds, and aldehydes was analyzed.Nine store types were sampled using a composite designto enable a greater number of stores to be visited.Stores had higher concentrations of formaldehyde, toluene,ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene than other microenvironments, particularly in certain store types. Geometricmean formaldehyde levels were highest in the housewaresstores, at 53 ges/entities/mgr.gif">g/m³ (95% CI = 43, 66). Geometric meantoluene levels were highest in multipurpose stores, at 76 ges/entities/mgr.gif">g/m³ (95% CI = 50, 118). The levels observed in storeswere several times higher than levels found in transportationmicroenvironments, and indicate strong indoor sources.In contrast, benzene did not have significantly higher levelsin stores than typically found outdoors. Concentrationsof formaldehyde and benzene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, andstyrene were strongly influenced by the presence ofsmoking in the dining microenvironment. Chloroform levelswere higher in restaurants than in other microenvironments,with a geometric mean of 1.1 ges/entities/mgr.gif">g/m³ (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.