Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from personal care products (PCPs) can affect indoor air quality and outdoor air quality when ventilated. In this paper, we determine a set of simplified VOC species profiles and emission rates for a range of non‐aerosol PCPs. These have been constructed from individual vapor analysis from 36 products available in the UK, using equilibrium headspace analysis with selected‐ion flow‐tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS). A simplified speciation profile is created based on the observations, comprising four alcohols, two cyclic volatile siloxanes, and monoterpenes (grouped as limonene). Estimates are made for individual unit‐of‐activity VOC emissions for dose‐usage of shampoos, shower gel, conditioner, liquid foundation, and moisturizer. We use these values as inputs to the INdoor air Detailed Chemical Model (INDCM) and compare results against real‐world case‐study experimental data. Activity‐based emissions are then scaled based on plausible usage patterns to estimate the potential scale of annual per‐person emissions for each product type (eg, 2 g limonene person−1 yr−1 from shower gels). Annual emissions from non‐aerosol PCPs for the UK are then calculated (decamethylcyclopentasiloxane 0.25 ktonne yr−1 and limonene 0.15 ktonne yr−1) and these compared with the UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory estimates for non‐aerosol cosmetics and toiletries.
Highlights
Volatile organic compounds are a diverse class of air pollutants that, in high concentrations, can directly impact human health,[1] and have widespread indirect effects through aiding the formation of secondary pollutants such as ozone and secondary organic aerosols (SOA)
Online mass spectrometry methods have provided a straightforward method to screen for Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) composition and emission amount in a range of different VOC-containing non-aerosol personal care products
We find that amounts of individual VOCs released vary considerably between products, but are in the range of a few milligrams to a few grams of each VOC from each product per person per year
Summary
Volatile organic compounds are a diverse class of air pollutants that, in high concentrations, can directly impact human health,[1] and have widespread indirect effects through aiding the formation of secondary pollutants such as ozone and secondary organic aerosols (SOA). The estimation of VOC emissions rates from non-aerosol PCPs is potentially a lengthy and time-consuming process.
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