Anthropogenic sources of VOC in a football stadium: Assessing human emissions in the atmosphere

Abstract

Measurements of gas-phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aerosol composition, carbon dioxide (CO2), and ozone (O3) were made inside Coface Arena in Mainz, Germany (49°59′3″N, 8°13′27″E) during a football match on April 20 2012. The VOC measurements were performed with a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS). Observed VOCs could be classified into several distinct source categories including (1) human respiration/breath, (2) ozonolysis of skin oils, and (3) cigarette smoke/combustion. In this work, we present a detailed discussion on the scale and potential impacts of VOCs emitted as a result of these sources and their contributions on local and larger scales. Human emissions of VOCs have a negligible contribution to the global atmospheric budget (∼1% or less) for all those quantified in this study. However, fluxes as high as 0.02 g m−2 h−1 and 2 × 10−4 g m−2 h−1, for ethanol and acetone respectively are observed, suggesting the potential for significant impact on local air chemistry and perhaps regional scales. This study suggests that even in outdoor environments, situations exist where VOCs emitted as a result of human presence and activity are an important component of local air chemistry.