TY - JOUR
T1 - Volatile organic compounds concentrations in residential indoor and outdoor and its personal exposure in Korea
AU - Son, Busoon
AU - Breysse, Patrick
AU - Yang, Wonho
N1 - Funding Information:
This research were supported by Soonchunhyang University and Johns Hopkins NIEHS center in Urban Environmental Health Grant #: P 30 ES 03819.
PY - 2003/4
Y1 - 2003/4
N2 - To date, personal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and residential indoor and outdoor VOCs levels have not been characterized in Korea. In this study, residential indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations were measured and compared simultaneously with the personal exposure for each of 30 participants in a medium city, Asan, and in a metropolitan city, Seoul. Factors that influence personal VOCs exposures were assessed in relation to house characteristics and time activity information. All VOC concentrations were measured using passive samplers during a 24-h period and analyzed using GC-MS. Ten target VOCs were benzene, trichloroethylene, toluene, o-xylene, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, MIBK, n-octane, styrene, and 1,2-dichlorobenzene. Residential indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations measured in Seoul were significantly higher than those in Asan. Indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios for all target compounds ranged from 0.94 to 1.51 and I/O ratios of Asan were a little higher than those of Seoul. Results indicate that time activity information can be used to predict personal exposures, although such predictions will result in an over estimation compared to measured exposures. Factors which influence the indoor VOCs level and its personal exposure in relation to house characteristics included house age, indoor smoking, and house type.
AB - To date, personal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and residential indoor and outdoor VOCs levels have not been characterized in Korea. In this study, residential indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations were measured and compared simultaneously with the personal exposure for each of 30 participants in a medium city, Asan, and in a metropolitan city, Seoul. Factors that influence personal VOCs exposures were assessed in relation to house characteristics and time activity information. All VOC concentrations were measured using passive samplers during a 24-h period and analyzed using GC-MS. Ten target VOCs were benzene, trichloroethylene, toluene, o-xylene, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, MIBK, n-octane, styrene, and 1,2-dichlorobenzene. Residential indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations measured in Seoul were significantly higher than those in Asan. Indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios for all target compounds ranged from 0.94 to 1.51 and I/O ratios of Asan were a little higher than those of Seoul. Results indicate that time activity information can be used to predict personal exposures, although such predictions will result in an over estimation compared to measured exposures. Factors which influence the indoor VOCs level and its personal exposure in relation to house characteristics included house age, indoor smoking, and house type.
KW - Compounds
KW - Exposure
KW - Indoor air
KW - Time-activity pattern
KW - Volatile organic
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U2 - 10.1016/S0160-4120(02)00148-4
DO - 10.1016/S0160-4120(02)00148-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 12605940
AN - SCOPUS:0037374714
SN - 0160-4120
VL - 29
SP - 79
EP - 85
JO - Environmental International
JF - Environmental International
IS - 1
ER -