Characteristics and personal exposures of carbonyl compounds in the subway stations and in-subway trains of Shanghai, China

Carbonyl compounds including their concentrations, potential sources, diurnal variations and personal exposure were investigated in six subway stations and in-subway trains in Shanghai in June 2008. The carbonyls were collected onto solid sorbent (Tenax TA) coated with pentafluorophenyl hydrazine (PFPH), followed by solvent extraction and gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of the PFPH derivatives. The total carbonyl concentrations of in-subway train were about 1.4-2.5 times lower than in-subway stations. A significant correlation (R > 0.5, p < 0.01) between the concentrations of the low molecular-weight carbonyl compounds (