Spatial Variations of Indoor Air Chemicals in an Apartment Unit and Personal Exposure of Residents.

Hironari Sakamoto,Shoji F Nakayama,Naoki Kunugita,Shigehisa Uchiyama,Tomohiko Isobe,Hironao Ogura

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111511

Abstract

Indoor air quality (IAQ) can greatly affect health in people spending much time indoors. However, the influence of IAQ on personal exposure to chemical compounds in Japan remains poorly investigated. Hence, this study aimed to clarify this influence thoroughly within one apartment. We surveyed the concentrations of 61 chemical compounds in the air in nine different spaces within an apartment unit, as well as the personal exposure of two residents in Japan. Using three kinds of diffusive samplers, this study was conducted continuously for 7 days in summer and winter. Health risks were evaluated by calculating the margin of exposure (MOE) using the measured concentrations. Some chemical concentrations showed large spatial variations and the personal exposure concentrations of these compounds also differed among residents. According to the calculated MOE, the chemicals with the highest health risk were acrolein, p-dichlorobenzene, and acetaldehyde in summer and acrolein, nitrogen dioxide, formic acid, p-dichlorobenzene, and benzene in winter. The IAQ of the house could be divided in two, and the IAQ in the space where residents spent much time (i.e., bedroom) highly affected each of the residents’ exposure. Investigating chemical concentrations in multiple spaces (including bedroom and living room) is necessary to understand the effect of IAQ on personal exposure.

Highlights

Indoor air contains numerous chemicals emitted from building materials and consumer products
This study aimed at the following: (1) to reveal spatial variations of chemical concentrations in one apartment unit and the personal exposure concentrations of the residents; (2) to determine the high-risk indoor air chemicals in the house according to the personal exposure concentrations and to presume their emission sources; (3) to clarify the space where personal exposure was greatly affected by indoor air quality (IAQ) and to estimate the personal exposure concentrations according to the IAQ
Personal exposure was lower than the maximum potential exposure from indoor air concentrations in different spaces

Summary

Introduction

Indoor air contains numerous chemicals emitted from building materials and consumer products. The concentrations of these chemicals in indoor air tend to be higher than those in outdoor air, owing to its closed environment. IAQ may cause sick building syndrome and chronic diseases caused by long-term indoor air exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO) [2,3], as well as many countries, has developed guideline values for indoor air pollutants. In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) has developed IAQ guidelines for 13 chemicals (formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, p-dichlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, chlorpyrifos, di-n-butyl phthalate, tetradecane, di-(2-ethylhexy)phthalate, diazinone, acetaldehyde, and fenobucarb) [4]

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