Comparison of indoor, backyard, and centralized air monitoring strategies for assessing personal exposure to volatile organic compounds

Abstract

Air concentrations of toxic vapor-phase organic compounds are compared for residential indoor, residential outdoor, and centralized locations by using two sampling strategies, Tenax GC sorbent cartridge sampling and Summa-polished canister sampling, both with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. all sample collection was performed in Los Angeles County, Ca, during July 1987, as part of the Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) study. Graphical and statistical analysis of the data from both sampling techniques revealed a lack of agreement between levels of target compounds measured at the three location types (indoor, outdoor, central). Correlations of measured concentrations between pairs of locations also showed very little relationship for any of the target compounds. The conclusion of the study is that a centrally located sampling site cannot be used to predict outdoor residential (i.e., backyard) levels, which in turn cannot be used to predict indoor levels at the proximate residence.