Measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) In Eight East Tennessee Homes.

摘要

Measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOC) were made inside and outside eight East Tennessee homes. Air samples were collected on Tenax or Tenax-carbonaceous sorbents. Analyses were made by high-resolution gas chromatography flame ionization detection (GCFID) and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS) with single-ion monitoring. Analyses were also made directly by injection of small air samples onto a portable gas chromatography photoionization detector (GCPID). The total indoor VOC (C(sub 5)- C(sub 16)) estimated from the GCFID chromatograms averaged 1.0 mg/m(sup 3) with a range of 0.1-3.7 mg/m(sup 3). The mean outdoor concentration of these total VOC was an order of magnitude less (0.08 mg/m(sup 3)). An identification and quantitation were made of some of the individual compounds comprising the total VOC. The 12 target chlorinated VOC that were measured accounted for a mean concentration of 0.064 mg/m(sup 3); methylene chloride at 19 mu g/m(sup 3)(6 ppb) and tetrachloroethylene at 22 mu g/m(sup 3)(3 ppb) were the two most abundant of these compounds. The sum concentration of toluene and xylene was 0.1 mg/m(sup 3). Other intermediate volatility VOC account for 0.1-0.2 mg/m(sup 3). Gasoline fumes were prevalent indoors, especially in houses with attached garages. Compared to houses without attached garages, the concentration of gasoline vapors and one of its characteristic constituents, 3-methylpentane, was about five-fold higher. The indoor-to-outdoor ratio of gasoline fumes was about 50:1 for houses with attached garages. 15 refs., 6 figs., 10 tabs. (ERA citation 13:056814)