Abstract
Recently, people have become increasingly aware of potential health issues related to indoor environments. In this study, we measure the concentrations of various volatile organic compounds, carbonyl compounds, and semi-volatile organic compounds, as well as the ventilation rates, in 49 new houses with light-gauge steel structures one week after completion. The proper indoor air quality of new residential environments can be ensured by characterizing people’s exposure to certain chemicals and assessing future risks. Our results show that the concentrations of the measured compounds were lower than the guideline values set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, and would continue to decrease. However, we observed that unregulated compounds, assumed to be substitutes for regulated solvents, contributed substantially to the total volatile organic compounds. To reduce indoor chemical exposure risks, the concentrations of these unregulated compounds should also be minimized. In addition, their sources need to be identified, and manufacture and use must be monitored. We believe it is important to select low-emission building materials for reducing residents’ exposure to indoor chemicals.
Highlights
Indoor air quality (IAQ) can have a significant impact on human health
Our results showed that it is possible to achieve good IAQ with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations, much lower than the Act’s guideline values, even just after construction is completed by using low-emission materials and maintaining ventilation rates of more than 0.5 air changes per hour, as required by
Helium was used as the gas chromatography (GC) carrier gas, flowing into the columns at a rate of 1.0 mL min−1
Summary
There has been increasing concern regarding the adverse health effects of various chemicals released by construction materials and household items into indoor environments [1,2,3,4]. For the public’s safety, we should attempt to minimize their concentrations They are suspected to be caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by building materials and other sources in newly built or refurbished houses. Recent technological progress toward reducing household energy consumption has led to increased demand for highly airtight and insulated homes. Making homes more airtight and heavily insulated have increased the likelihood of chemical compounds being retained indoors, resulting in increased air contamination [9,10]. Various chemical compounds are emitted into rooms by a wide range of sources, including building and internal materials, furniture, curtains, air fresheners, deodorants, pesticides, personal care products, cooking, and other everyday household products
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