| Title: | Presence of emerging organic contaminants and solvents in schools using passive sampling |
| Author(s): | Vallecillos L; Borrull A; Marce RM; Borrull F; |
| Address: | "Eurecat, Centre Tecnologic de Catalunya, Water, Air and Soil Unit, Marcel.li Domingo n 2, Tarragona 43007, Spain. Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sescelades Campus, Marcel?O+li Domingo n 1, Tarragona 43007, Spain. Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sescelades Campus, Marcel?O+li Domingo n 1, Tarragona 43007, Spain. Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sescelades Campus, Marcel?O+li Domingo n 1, Tarragona 43007, Spain. Electronic address: francesc.borrull@urv.cat" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142903 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1026 (Electronic) 0048-9697 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In this study, we report on the applicability of passive sampling with Carbopack X adsorbent tubes followed by thermal desorption gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) to monitor the concentrations of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) and solvents in ten indoor environments in a conventional and a vocational training school. However, if passive sampling is to be used as a reliable sampling technique, a specific diffusive uptake rate is required for each target compound. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was twofold. The first was to determine the experimental diffusive uptake rates of the target EOCs and solvents in one of the sampling sites of the vocational training school using Carbopack X adsorbent tubes and active sampling as the reference technique. The results showed experimental diffusive uptake rates between 0.46 mL min(-1) and 0.94 mL min(-1) with RSD % below 5% for the 28 target compounds. The second was to apply the uptake rates obtained experimentally to determine EOCs and solvents in schools. The monitoring results showed that solvents were ubiquitous throughout the conventional school with a concentrations range between 51.93 mug m(-3) and 164.6 mug m(-3), while EOCs were detected to a lesser extent. Moreover, the concentrations of EOCs in the vocational training school were much higher than those in the conventional school with concentrations of up to 562.9 mug m(-3) for solvents and 344.3 mug m(-3) for acrylate polymer monomers. After actively sampling for seven days in each school, we concluded that the concentrations of EOCs and solvents found are mostly linked to cleaning products (conventional school) and the activities carried out in the classroom (vocational training school)" |
| Keywords: | *Air Pollutants/analysis Diffusion *Environmental Monitoring Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Schools Solvents Emerging organic contaminants Indoor air Passive sampling Thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; |
| Notes: | "MedlineVallecillos, Laura Borrull, Anna Marce, Rosa Maria Borrull, Francesc eng Netherlands 2021/03/25 Sci Total Environ. 2021 Apr 10; 764:142903. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142903. Epub 2020 Oct 13" |
