Main Volatile Organic Compounds Research Articles

Chemical analysis of incense smokes used in Shaxi, Southwest China: A novel methodological approach in ethnobotany

Aim of the studyCharacterization and comparative analysis of the main VOCs (volatile organic compounds) present in the smoke of 11 experimentally combusted plant species used as incense in Shaxi, Southwest China. Substances which may be responsible for the pleasant smell of the smokes as well as substances with a potential pharmacological activity are discussed. Materials and methodsWe adopt the dynamic headspace sorption method for the collection of smoke samples as a novel methodological approach in ethnobotany. The VOCs were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Principal component analysis and canonical discriminant analysis were performed using PASW statistics (Version 18.0.2). ResultsAmong the identified compounds were 10 monoterpenoids, 7 sesquiterpenoids, 6 linear hydrocarbons, 6 methoxy phenolics, 2 benzenoids, 2 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 2 fatty acids. Based on their volatile profiles, the species are well clustered intraspecifically and separated interspecifically. The most abundant among the compounds potentially responsible for the pleasant smells of the smokes are methyl salicylate (12.28±3.90%) for Gaultheria fragrantissima leaves, δ-cadinene (15.58±2.29%) for Juniperus squamata wood, and α-Pinene for Cupressus funebris branches (9.16±7.73%) and Pistacia weinmanniifolia branches (19.52±8.66%). A couple of substances found are known for pharmacological activity, such as methylsalycilate, beta-caryophyllene and cedrol. ConclusionsThe species used by the local people in Shaxi for incense differ clearly with respect to the chemical compounds of their smoke. Further, incense contains substances, which are of pharmacological interest and might support medicinal uses of smoke. Cedrol with its pleasant smell and sedative properties may be an important factor why specific plants are chosen as incense. Our findings support the idea that the effects of the use of incense as well as medicinal smoke depend on both, the cultural as well as the pharmacological context.

Species of Volatile Organic Compounds from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

In order to investigate the characteristic of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the air and water samples were collected. The air samples were extracted and identified by GC/MS. The atmospheric VOCs species from all WWTP units were tested. It was shown that the main fugitive sources were primary clarifier and the room of sludge dewatering. The numbers were 33 and 30. The total species of VOCs emitted varied with a range of 16 to 33. The relationship between VOCs species and the change of water quality were discussed. The increasing of VOCs species was related with the higher SUVA, and the molecular weight of VOCs species in air sample gradually become lower along the wastewater treatment process. In the wastewater treatment process，the function of microbe did not contribute the whole effort on the removing of organic pollutants. VOCs volatilized from water phase could also reduce organic pollutants in water phase. In the whole WWTP, the main VOCs species were alkyl with small molecular weight, aromatic hydrocarbon material and naphthalene. Halogenated hydrocarbon was detected in primary treatment unit and anoxic tank.

Floral scent variation in two Antirrhinum majus subspecies influences the choice of naïve bumblebees

Two wild subspecies of snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus, subspecies pseudomajus and striatum, differ in floral color and can be visually discriminated by insect visitors. The extent to which olfactory cues derived from floral scents contribute to discrimination between snapdragon subspecies is however unknown. We tested whether these two subspecies differ in floral scent and whether these olfactory differences are used by bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to discriminate between them. We grew individuals of both subspecies, collected from a total of seven wild populations, under controlled conditions. We quantified the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the flowers using gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry/flame-ionization-detection. We studied antennal detection of VOCs by bumblebees, by means of electroantennogram study (EAG). We also performed behavioral experiments in a Y-maze to determine the innate response of bumblebees to the main floral VOCs emitted by our snapdragon subspecies. The floral scent of Antirrhinum majus pseudomajus contained three volatile benzenoids absent in the floral scent of Antirrhinum majus striatum. One of them, acetophenone, contributed over 69% of the absolute emissions of A. majus pseudomajus. These benzenoids elicited a significantly higher EAG response compared with other VOCs. In the Y-maze, bumblebees were significantly less attracted by acetophenone, suggesting an aversive effect of this VOC. Our findings indicate that bumblebees are able to discriminate between the two Antirrhinum majus subspecies. Differences in flower scent between these subspecies and olfactory bumblebee preferences are discussed in the light of biochemical constraints on VOCs synthesis and of the role of flower scent in the evolutionary ecology of A. majus.

Indoor Air in Beauty Salons and Occupational Health Exposure of Cosmetologists to Chemical Substances

The indoor environment in four beauty salons located in Athens (Greece) was examined in order to investigate the occupational health exposure of cosmetologists to various chemical products typically used in their work. Chemical substances chosen for investigation were volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, ozone and carbon dioxide. Total VOCs levels measured showed significant variation (100–1,450 μg m−3) depending on the products used and the number of treatments carried out, as well as ventilation. The main VOCs found in the salons were aromatics (toluene, xylene), esters and ketones (ethyl acetate, acetone, etc.) which are used as solvents in various beauty products; terpenes (pinene, limonene, camphor, menthenol) which have a particular odor and others like camphor which have specific properties. Ozone concentrations measured in all salons were quite low (0.1 and 13.3 μg m−3) and formaldehyde concentrations detected were lower than the detection limit of the method in all salons (<0.05 ppm). Carbon dioxide levels ranged between 402 and 1,268 ppm, depending on the number of people present in the salons during measurements and ventilation. Cosmetologists may be exposed to high concentrations of a mixture of volatile organic compounds although these levels could be decreased significantly by following certain practices such as good ventilation of the areas, closing the packages of the beauty products when not in use and finally selecting safer beauty products without strong odor.

VOC Outgassing from Baked and Unbaked Ventilation Filters

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) outgassing from newly manufactured baked and unbaked ventilation filters were examined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry following thermodesorption (TD-GC/MS) technique. Filters were tested under both static and dynamic conditions. Under static conditions, the unbaked filter outgassed VOC (0.50 ± 0.18 μg) more than twice as much as the baked filter (0.23 ± 0.15 μg). 2-Propanol and nonanal were the components outgassed from both baked and unbaked filters and 4-piperidinol, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl- was determined to be the main contaminant outgassed from the unbaked filters. Series of tunnel experiments were conducted by passing highly purified dry air through the filters and taking air samples upstream and downstream the filter. Under dynamic test conditions, the baked filter was not significantly distinguishable from the background with a downstream total VOC concentration increase only by 35.3%, which was almost 9 times lower than that of the unbaked filter (294%). 3-hydroxy-4,6-di-t-butyl-2H-pyran-2-one was the main VOC outgassed from the unbaked filter. In addition, a general trend of decreasing VOC outgassing with time from baked and unbaked filters was observed in both static and dynamic tests. It also suggested that baked filter behaved like a sink for certain VOC and unbaked filters from different batches may outgas different VOC. Overall, bake-out was proved to be an effective way of reducing VOC outgassing from ventilation filters.

Symptoms prevalence among office workers of a sealed versus a non-sealed building: Associations to indoor air quality

Objectives An increasing number of complaints related to time spent in artificially ventilated buildings have been progressively reported and attributed, at least in part, to physical and chemical exposures in the office environment. The objective of this research was to investigate the association between the prevalence of work-related symptoms and the indoor air quality, comparing a sealed office building with a naturally ventilated one, considering, specially, the indoor concentration of TPM, TVOCs and the main individual VOCs. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed to compare the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms among 1736 office workers of a sealed office building and 950 of a non-sealed one, both in Rio de Janeiro's downtown. The prevalence of symptoms was obtained by a SBS standardized questionnaire. The IAQ of the buildings was evaluated through specific methods, to determine the temperature, humidity, particulate matter and volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations. Results Upper airways and ophthalmic symptoms, tiredness and headache were highly prevalent in both buildings. Some symptoms were more prevalent in the sealed building: “eye dryness” 33.3% and 27.1% (p: 0.01); “runny nose” 37.3% and 31.3% (p: 0.03); “dry throat” 42% and 36% (p: 0.02); and “lethargy” 58.5% and 50.5% ( p: 0.03) respectively. However, relative humidity and indoor total particulate matter (TPM) concentration as well as total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were paradoxically greater in the non-sealed building, in which aromatic compounds had higher concentration, especially benzene. The analysis between measured exposure levels and resulting symptoms showed no association among its prevalence and TPM, TVOCs, benzene or toluene concentration in none of the buildings. Conclusions Other disregarded factors, like undetected VOCs, mites, molds and endotoxin concentrations, may be associated to the greater prevalence of symptoms in the sealed building.

Cadaveric volatile organic compounds released by decaying pig carcasses ( Sus domesticus L.) in different biotopes

Forensic entomology uses pig carcasses to surrogate human decomposition and to investigate the entomofaunal colonization. Insects communicate with their environment through the use of chemical mediators, which in the case of necrophagous insects, may consist in the cadaveric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by the corpse under decomposition. Previous studies have focused on cadaveric VOCs released from human corpses. Nevertheless, studies on human corpses are restricted for many reasons, including ethics. Forensic entomologists use pig as animal model but very few information are available about the decompositional VOCs released by a decaying pig carcass. We here tested a passive sampling technique, the Radiello ® diffusive sampler, to monitor the cadaveric VOCs released by decomposing pig carcasses in three biotopes (crop field, forest, urban site). A total of 104 chemical compounds, exclusively produced by the decompositional process, were identified by thermal desorption interfaced with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (TDS-GC–MS). Ninety, 85 and 57 cadaveric VOCs were identified on pig carcasses laying on the agricultural site, the forest biotope and in the urban site, respectively. The main cadaveric VOCs are acids, cyclic hydrocarbons, oxygenated compounds, sulfur and nitrogen compounds. A better knowledge of the smell of death and their volatile constituents may have many applications in forensic sciences.

Evaluation of the use of photochemical indicators to assess ozone—NOx—VOC sensitivity in the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula

Understanding the chemical links between ozone (O3) and its two main precursors, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), is important for designing effective photochemical smog reduction strategies. This chemical relationship will determine which precursor (NOx or VOC) emission reduction will be more effective for decreasing the ozone formation. Under certain conditions, ozone levels decrease as a result of a reduction in NOx emissions but do not respond significantly to changes in VOC emissions (NOx-sensitive condition), while under other conditions ozone concentrations decrease in response to reductions in VOCs and may even increase when NOx emissions are reduced (VOC-sensitive conditions). Indicator species can be used to assess the sensitivity of ozone to changes in the emissions of its precursors. These indicators are species or species ratios involved in ozone photochemistry which reflect the primary chemical process through which the ozone was formed. In this work we use the MM5-CAMx model system to explore the behaviour of various indicator species during two meteorological situations featuring different atmospheric conditions in a complex terrain area. The results show that indicators based on nitrogen compounds (i.e,. NOy and NOz) are suitable for defining the transition range from VOC- to NOx-sensitive chemistry, and that despite the uncertainties associated with the use of chemical indicators, the ratios O3/NOy and O3/NOz may provide a simple and useful way to summarize the response of ozone to changes in NOx and VOC emissions in Southwestern Spain.

Volatile organic compounds measured in summer in Beijing and their role in ground‐level ozone formation

Beijing has long suffered from serious ground‐level ozone pollution, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a key role in ozone formation. To understand the chemical speciation of VOCs in Beijing, nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) were measured in summer in Beijing and nearby provinces (VOCs in this work means NMHCs+OVOCs). A variation of VOC mixing ratios and chemical speciation from 2004 to 2006 was observed at an urban site in Beijing. The typical VOC species, e.g., propane, propene, and toluene, had comparable or lower mixing ratios than levels found in other cities that previously hosted the Olympic Games, while the mixing ratios for isoprene were higher. The chemical compositions of VOCs within Beijing were heavily influenced by vehicular emissions and differed from those obtained in Tianjin and Hebei Province. OVOCs were an important component, accounting for 54% and 37% in the VOC mixing ratio in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and about 40% of the OH loss rates. The main reactive VOC compounds were aldehydes and alkenes. By using isoprene chemistry and the ratio of ethylbenzene to mp‐xylene, the initial mixing ratios of VOCs were estimated. The VOCs had similar variation patterns to ambient ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) concentrations. The correlation between daily maximum ozone concentrations and initial VOCs revealed that ozone formation was sensitive to VOCs for both urban (Peking University, PKU) and rural (Yufa) sites. A reduction in NOx would lead to a decrease in ozone at Yufa, but would cause increased ozone at the PKU site.

Biological treatment of a contaminated gaseous emission from a leather industry in a suspended-growth bioreactor

A suspended-growth bioreactor (SGB) was operated for the treatment of a gaseous stream mimicking emissions generated at a leather industrial company. The main volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the gaseous stream consisted of 1-methoxy-2-propanol, 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone, 2-butoxyethanol, toluene and butylacetate. A microbial consortium able to degrade these VOCs was successfully enriched. A laboratory-scale SGB was established and operated for 210-d with an 8 h cycle period and with shutdowns at weekends. Along this period, the SGB was exposed to organic loads (OL) between 6.5 and 2.3 × 10 2 g h −1 m −3. Most of the compounds were not detected at the outlet of the SGB. The highest total VOC removal efficiency (RE) (ca 99%) was observed when an OL of 1.6 × 10 2 g h −1 m −3 was fed to the SGB. The maximum total VOC elimination capacity (1.8 × 10 2 g h −1 m −3) was achieved when the OL applied to the SGB was 2.3 × 10 2 g h −1 m −3. For all the operating conditions, the SGB showed high levels of degradation of toluene and butylacetate (RE ≈ 100%). This study also revealed that recirculation of the gaseous effluent improved the performance of the SGB. Overall, the SGB was shown to be robust, showing high performance after night and weekend shutdown periods.

Monitoring of volatile organic compounds in non-residential indoor environments

A weekly monitoring campaign of volatile organic compounds (VOC), with single sampling of 24 h, was carried out in non-residential indoor environments such as libraries, pharmacies, offices, gymnasiums, etc., in order to evaluate the VOC concentrations to which people are exposed. Moreover, an outdoor sample was coupled to each indoor site to point out the influence of indoor sources. They were sampled with Radiello diffusive samplers for thermal desorption and analyzed by GC-MS. As already described in other papers, the VOC levels of most of the indoor sites were higher than that observed in the corresponding outdoor sites. For example, some sites showed a level of pollution that is ten times higher than their corresponding outdoor site. The monitored environments that had higher concentrations of the investigated VOC were the pharmacies, a newspaper stand, a copy center, and the coffee shops. Analysis of the weekly average concentrations of each pollutant and the use of literature allowed pointing out some site-specific characteristics that singled out possible sources of VOC. These results were verified analyzing the indoor-outdoor ratio (I/O) too. Newspaper stands were characterized by very high concentrations of toluene and pharmacies were characterized by high concentrations of aromatic compounds. Indoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds (VOC) might affect human health at home as well as in public and commercial buildings. The main VOC sources in indoor environments are human activities, personal care products, smoking, house cleaning products, building products, and outside pollution. To preserve human health it is necessary to evaluate the average concentrations of VOC to which people are exposed and to identify the main sources of indoor pollution by means of suitable indoor monitoring campaigns in several environments. These investigations allow pointing out the characteristic critical situations of some indoor environments or some other types of environments.

Assessment of the Impact Produced by the Traffic Source on VOC Level in the Urban Area of Canosa di Puglia (Italy)

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) have been monitored in 12 sites of Canosa di Puglia, a city located in the Southern of Italy, in order to identify the main VOC source—vehicular traffic or industrial—and to evaluate the critical situations in the city. Monitoring, carried out by using Radiello® diffusive samplers, has been planned taking into account the traffic density and the architecture of the city. From the study of the data it has been emerged that, among all considered VOC, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) are the pollutants at higher concentration. However no critical situation has appared from the present monitoring. Maps of daily benzene and toluene concentrations have shown that the most significant pollution phenomena happens in the center of the urban area which is in a valley with narrow roads and high buildings that do not allow an efficient dispersion of pollutants. The study of the diagnostic ratios between the toluene and benzene concentrations in the several areas (average T/B = 3.4) and the high Pearson’s coefficient among the pollutants, and in particular between benzene and toluene concentrations (r = 0.9505), have suggested that in urban area these pollutants are emitted from the same source: the vehicular traffic.

Identification of 2,3‐dimethyl‐2,3‐diisobutyl succinonitrile in laser printer emissions

2,3-Dimethyl-2,3-diisobutyl succinonitrile was identified as the main volatile organic compound (>90%) emitted from laser printers during the printing process. Experiments were carried out in a large environmental chamber of 30 m3, where the printers were placed and working simulating 'real office setting' conditions. Air samples were taken on Tenax TA adsorbent cartridges in the vicinity of the printers and further analyzed by thermal desorption gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TDGC/MS). The structure of the compound has been determined and is presented in this study. Additional data obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) support the proposed structure, with no reported CAS number, as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-diisobutyl succinonitrile. It is a byproduct of the thermal decomposition of 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethyl valeronitrile), a commercially available free radical polymerization initiator used in polymerization processes during the manufacture of the toners. By means of head-space GC/MS, 15 toners used in black & white and colour printers have been investigated. Six of them contained 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-diisobutyl succinonitrile, which has also been detected in the respective processed paper.

피혁산업장의 휘발성유기화합물(VOCs) 배출 특성에 관한 연구

The concentrations of major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured using a passive sampler in the leather industries, Shihwa and Banwol industrial complex. The leather industries were classified into four groups in raw materials and main product. The concentrations of total VOCs measured in process for manufacture of reconstituted leather and special treated leatherwas highest. The main VOCs measured in the leather industries was found to be toluene with a average concentration of 1,200 ppb. The major group selected in the leather industries was divided into three groups by the fingerprint analysis and the principal component analysis. The major VOCs in the groups classified by fingerprint analysis were found to be dependent on the characteristics of raw materials and main products.

Emission factors and characteristics of criteria pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a freeway tunnel study

Carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO(x)), hydrocarbon (HC), sulfur oxide (SO(2)), particulate matter <10 microm (PM(10)), and 57 VOC species of emissions were confirmed in a freeway tunnel in southern Taiwan. Emission factors were 1.89 (CO), 0.73 (NO(x)), 0.46 (HC), 0.02 (SO2) and 0.06 (PM(10)) g/km-vehicle for all vehicle fleets. Heavy-duty truck and trailer vehicles contributed 20% of the emissions on workdays and 9.5% on weekends in this study. Paraffins and aromatics were the main VOC groups in the tunnel. Isopentane, toluene, n-pentane, isoprene, 2,3-dimethylbutane, acetone, 2-methylpentane, 1-hexene, 1,2,4-trimethybenzene, 1-butene and propene emissions were the major VOC species. Their emission factors were over 10 mg/km-vehicle. Rainfall and high humidity in the tunnel could have reduced the VOC concentrations and increased the portion of aromatics. In addition to paraffins, olefins, and aromatic compounds, oxygenated compounds (i.e., acetone) were found. The pollutant ratios between the inside center and the outside of the tunnel were about 2-3 for CO, SO2, and PM(10) and 42 for NO(x). In addition, the emission factors of the vehicles could reflect real-world vehicle emissions on the highway and be used as baseline information for development of a vehicle control strategy.

Emission Factors for Gas-Powered Vehicles Traveling Through Road Tunnels in São Paulo, Brazil

The objective of this study was to improve the vehicular emissions inventory for the light- and heavy-duty fleet in the metropolitan area of São Paulo (MASP), Brazil. To that end, we measured vehicle emissions in road tunnels located in the MASP. On March 22-26, 2004 and May 04-07, 2004, respectively, CO, CO2, NOx, SO2, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions were measured in two tunnels: the Janio Quadros, which carries light-dutyvehicles; and the Maria Maluf, which carries light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty diesel trucks. Pollutant concentrations were measured inside the tunnels, and background pollutant concentrations were measured outside of the tunnels. The mean CO and NOx emission factors (in g km(-1)) were, respectively, 14.6 +/- 2.3 and 1.6 +/- 0.3 for light-duty vehicles, compared with 20.6 +/- 4.7 and 22.3 +/- 9.8 for heavy-duty vehicles. The total VOCs emission factor for the Maria Maluf tunnel was 1.4 +/- 1.3 g km(-1). The main VOCs classes identified were aromatic, alkane, and aldehyde compounds. For the heavy-duty fleet, NOx emission factors were approximately 14 times higher than those found for the light-duty fleet. This was attributed to the high levels of NOx emissions from diesel vehicles.

Ozone response to precursor controls in very complex terrains: Use of photochemical indicators to assess O3‐NOx‐VOC sensitivity in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula

The kinetics of ozone (O3) chemistry and its two main precursors, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), represents an important field of uncertainty in atmospheric chemistry and photochemical modeling. This uncertainty affects the design of control strategies to reduce tropospheric O3 production. The effect of controlling ozone precursors on sensitivity regimes was evaluated by performing simulations with MM5‐EMICAT2000‐CMAQ model to represent O3 formation in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula with baseline emission rates for VOC and NOx, and reducing anthropogenic VOC and NOx emissions on a 35%. Three different scenarios were considered in order to assess chemical sensitivity in urban, industrial, and background domains. Areas downwind of the city of Barcelona benefit from NOx reductions (reduction of 10 ppb in ground‐level O3), while the same reduction causes an important increment of O3 in Barcelona (9 ppb) and the area downwind of Tarragona (18 ppb), with a high industrial influence. The city of Barcelona benefits from VOC reductions (10 ppb of O3) as well as the industrial zone of Alcover (20 ppb). The rest of the domain is practically insensitive to VOC reductions. Diverse photochemical species derived from the air quality model were used as indicators in order to establish the chemical sensitivity regime existing in the areas, analyzing whether O3 values reacted consistently to similar changes in emissions. Results showed that NOy (total reactive nitrogen) and O3/NOy are the indicators involving a lower uncertainty when assessing sensitivity, according to the narrow transition regime between NOx‐ and VOC‐sensitive chemistry and the low uncertainty observed. Indicators performed better in VOC‐sensitive than in NOx‐sensitive domains. H2O2‐ and HNO3‐ derived indicators entailed higher uncertainties since transition regimes between NOx and VOC sensitivity covered a wide range. The extent of reaction also performed as a good indicator to separate NOx‐ and VOC‐sensitive regimes. This sensitivity analysis provides a tool for establishing hypothetical control policies for O3 precursor emissions through a comparison of simulated correlation between the species.

Study on the genetic damage in mice induced by the volatile organic compounds of decoration materials

To study genetic damage of mice caused by the volatile organic compounds (VOC) of decoration materials. Fifty-five hotel guest rooms newly decorated within 6 months and 18 hotel guest rooms not decorated within 3 years were selected to determine the concentrations of 6 main VOC (benzene, methylbenzene, dimethylbenzene, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, formaldehyde) in the air. Mice were exposed to VOC with the concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 40 times respectively as high as those present in the newly decorated rooms in an exposure cabinet for 15 days. DNA damage of peripheral lymphocytes of the mice was determined by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and bone marrow micronucleus test. The concentrations of benzene, methylbenzene, dimethylbenzene, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate and formaldehyde in the rooms newly decorated within 6 months (6.50, 3.00, 6.70, 41.33, 1.70 and 0.14 mg/m(3) respectively) were significantly higher than those in rooms not decorated within 3 years (0.08, 0.94, 1.38, 0.25, 0.25, 0.01 mg/m(3), P < 0.01). DNA damage rates of peripheral lymphocytes in the concentrations of 10, 20, 40 times of exposure groups were significantly higher than those in the control groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the frequencies of micronucleus in the mice exposed to 40 times of concentration was significantly higher than that in control group. High concentrations of the volatile organic chemical compounds may cause genetic damage in mice. SCGE test is more sensitive than micronucleus test.

Analyzing method on biogenic volatile organic compounds

In order to analyze biogenic volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, an automated gas chromatography is developed and employed at the laboratory of National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) during January to July, 2000. A small refrigerator was used so as to remove water in the air sample from gas line, and get accurate concentrations of volatile organic compounds. At 5°C, good water removing efficiency can be obtained at controlled flow rate. Air samples were collected around the building of Mesa Lab. of NCAR and analyzed by this gas chromatography system. This paper reports this gas chromatography system and results of air samples. The experimental results show that this gas chromatography system has a good reproducibility and stability, and main interesting volatile organic compounds such as isoprene, monoterpenes have an evident diurnal variation.

Determination of total volatile organic compound emissions from furniture polishes

In this study, an environmental test chamber with controlled temperature, relative humidity, and airflow rate was developed to evaluate emissions of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) from three different kinds of furniture polish. The time dependence of TVOC concentrations produced from the emissions of furniture polish products in the chamber was tested. TVOC emissions from each furniture polish were compared. The main volatile organic compounds emitted from each polish were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A double-exponential equation was developed to evaluate the characteristics of emissions of TVOCs from these furniture polish products. With this double-exponential model, the physical processes of TVOC emissions can be explained. A variety of emission parameters can be calculated. These emission parameters could be used to estimate real indoor TVOC concentrations.