Journal
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
Volume 38, Issue 8, Pages 1181-1190Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2003.11.003
Keywords
VOC; TVOC; indoor air; seasonal variation; seasonal adjustment
Ask authors/readers for more resources
On the basis of 2103 measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air we study the intensity of a seasonal pattern. The data are representative for the German population and were gathered in different cities (Leipzig, Munchen, Koln), in rooms of different type (children's, living, sleeping rooms, and other rooms), and in households of smokers and non-smokers. In addition to the randomly selected different apartments that were sampled each month, we repeatedly measured in a fixed set of 10 apartments. The analysis comprised concentrations of 30 VOCs belonging to the groups of alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, volatile halogenated hydrocarbons, and terpenes. The annual cycle for total VOC concentrations was observed at every site. Seasonality proved to be the most dominant pattern, but it may be modified by further factors, such as the city, the considered VOC component, and the type of the considered room. Highest concentrations occurred during the winter months and amount to approximately three to four times the summer burden. As seasonality may bias the results of health effect studies we fit a seasonal model to our measurements and develop a procedure for seasonal adjustment, which enables to roughly estimate the annual peak concentration utilizing one monthly observation. The seasonal pattern proved to be a general feature of indoor VOC concentrations and, therefore, this adjustment procedure may be generally applicable. For Leipzig, Munchen, and Koln we present site-specific adjustment factors for indoor concentrations of aromatics, terpenes, and alkanes. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available