Variability of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) in the Indoor Air of Retail Stores.

Jia Jia,Cao Cao,Sorin Sorin,Valaulikar Valaulikar,Fu Fu

doi:10.3390/ijerph16234622

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released to the indoor air of retail stores from numerous products and activities, but available literature lacks a systematic understanding of the variability of VOC concentrations. In this study, we measured concentrations of total VOCs (TVOC) in 32 retail stores using a high-sensitivity photoionization detector (PID). Indoor thermal comfort parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity, were simultaneously measured using an anemometer. The store-level TVOC concentrations ranged from 30 to 869 ppb and exceeded the LEED guideline in 31 stores. TVOC levels were notably high in hardware stores (median = 536 ppb, p = 0.0002) and paints, household, and home accessories sections within stores (p < 0.05). TVOC levels were elevated in mornings and evenings, possibly due to low ventilation and cleaning activities at the beginning and end of business hours. The between-store, within-store, and temporal variations accounted for 85%, 0.5%, and 14% of the total variance, respectively. The variance structure suggested that in-store VOC concentrations were predominantly driven by their source location, and representative monitoring should first consider covering various store types. Current store VOC levels present health concerns, but further studies are needed to evaluate risks among customers.

Highlights

Retail stores are an indoor environment where people spend a substantial portion of their time away from home
By summarizing the Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (BASE) Study data, Rackes and Waring reported that the median total VOCs (TVOC) concentration was 260.5 μg/m3 in offices in six major US cities [36]
Our analyses showed that indoor TVOC concentrations varied mostly by store type and were not associated with other environmental parameters

Summary

Introduction

Retail stores are an indoor environment where people spend a substantial portion of their time away from home. An early study with 2697 subjects reported that people spent 60 min/day (median) in stores [1]. The Census Bureau’s data showed that the civilian population spent 43 min/day purchasing goods and services in 2017 [2], and the time was decreasing [3]. Despite the growth of online shopping, consumers still spend significantly more time per visit in-store than online [4]. The purpose of shopping is for buying goods and services but for reducing sadness and stress [5,6]. Studies have documented the positive impacts of shopping on mood, i.e., “retail therapy” [7]

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Discussion

Conclusion