Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of the Halogenated Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted from the Office Equipment Items

Abstract

Indoor sources of the halogenated volatile organic compounds (halogenated VOCs) emissions into the office air were identified in this study. Mixtures of the organic pollutants emitted from 16 plastics samples or from finishing materials were analysed. The VOCs emitted from the samples were acquired in a small environmental test chamber with the clean air circulation system, at 296 ± 2 K. The VOCs emitted were collected on three-layer adsorption tubes. Identification of the emitted VOCs was based on thermal desorption (TD) combined with the capillary gas chromatography – mass spectrometry technique (GC/MS). The tests identified several organic pollutants and most of these VOCs were chlorinated organic compounds: tetrachloroethene (identified in 68.7% samples), bromo-dichloromethane (in 56.2% samples), chlorobenzene and 1,4-dichlorobenzene (both in 43.7% samples). Concentration levels were compared for halogenated compounds and for some other VOCs (e.g., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes). The largest emission level was found for toluene (≤181.6 µg m−3) and styrene (≤24.5 µg m−3). The electric wall switch was found to be the most important source of halogenated VOCs and a 16.4 µg m−3 (about 10.3% of TVOC emitted). The felt-backed carpet was the second most abundant (11.1 µg m−3), about 11.9% of TVOC.