Exposure to Semi Volatile Organic Compounds Including Flame Retardants Indoor Air From the Floor

Abstract

PP-30-148 Background/Aims: Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), caused by volatile organic compounds (VOC) indoor air has been a problem in Japan. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set the guideline values about 13 VOCs to improve the indoor air quality in 2003. However, there are many more chemicals in the actual indoor air. One such group is semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) which exists at extremely low concentration level and cause health problem. In Chemiless Town in Chiba University, a room in a 2-story reinforced concrete building was remodeled, and 19 SVOCs (8 phthalates and 11 phosphoric acid compounds used mainly as flame retardants) were analyzed and calculated. Methods: In March 2009, the interior materials of 5 rooms in a reinforced concrete building in Chemiless Town were remodeled. The interior materials of the 5 rooms are as follows. Room 1 and 2: ceiling: sound absorbent tile, wall: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets and starch adhesive, floor: tile carpet; Room 3: ceiling: sound absorbent tile, wall: PVC sheets and starch adhesive, floor: PVC tile; Room 4: ceiling: sound absorbent tile, wall: PVC sheets and starch adhesive, floor: PVC tile; Room 5: ceiling and wall: diatomite tile, floor: tile carpet. In April, the indoor air was collected in each room and the 19 SVOCs were analyzed and calculated. Room 2 was remodeled again in September and the floor carpet was changed. Then the indoor air of Room 2 was collected and the 19 SVOCs were analyzed and calculated. Results: The concentration level of 19 SVOCs of the 5 rooms were about the same in April 2009. However, in Room 2, the level of Tri (2-chloroisopropyl) Phosphate was increased from 442 to 1240 ng/m3, and the level of diethylhexyl phthalate was decreased from 308 to 34.4 ng/m3. Conclusion: It became clear that the level of SVOC differs with the change of interior materials.