Volatile organic compounds, odor, and inhalation health risks during interior construction of a fully furnished residential unit in Nanjing, China

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of chemical pollutants affecting indoor air quality (IAQ) with proved adverse health effects. The construction processes and materials used predetermine to a large extent of the IAQ in newly-built buildings. However, little is known about the exposure of construction workers. To investigate VOCs, odor, and preliminary estimates of the VOC-related health risk of construction workers, VOC concentrations were measured at eight stages of construction in a residential unit of a fully furnished residential block in Nanjing, China. The results show that VOC type and concentrations were higher for the “dry” material stages (completed by the carpenter) than that for the “wet” material stages (completed by the painter). Total VOC (TVOC) concentration was the highest (1710 μg/m3) during the “doors and doorframes” stage and the lowest for the “gypsum plaster” (226 μg/m3) and “putty-1” (222 μg/m3) stages. Alkanes were the most abundant VOC type and constituted 22.2%–69.2% of the TVOC. The odor activity value (OAV) was the lowest at the “putty-2” stage (20.7) and the highest at the “wooden flooring” stage (224). Octanal was the major odor contributor (60.1%–82.8%). The median total cancer risks were 4.8 × 10−5 and 6.6 × 10−5 for the painters and carpenters, respectively. Formaldehyde constituted 78.0% and 65.7% of the total risk for the painters and carpenters, respectively, followed by naphthalene. The carpenters were exposed to a greater variety of VOCs, odorants, and higher odor concentrations than the painters.