Ozone removal by occupants in a classroom

Abstract

Ozone concentrations were measured in a classroom with and without occupants, with the purpose to quantify effects on indoor O3 concentrations. The teacher and 24 11-year old pupils each removed O3 at a rate, first order in O3, corresponding to a rate constant of (2.5 ± 0.6) × 10−5 s−1 in the present locality and to a deposition velocity of 0.45 cm s−1. The O3-removal caused by the occupants was approximately 2.6 times larger than that of the available surfaces belonging to the classroom and its furniture. Observation of 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and 4-oxopentanal at maximum concentrations of 0.2 ppb and 0.7 ppb, respectively, suggested squalene from human skin oil as a reactive, ozone-consuming substance. There are indications of a source of 4-oxopentanal in the classroom, even some time after the pupils left for the day. The work presented is important for a proper description of indoor exposure, both to ozone itself and some of its reaction products when trying to quantify relations between exposure and health effects.