« Previous AbstractExposure to volatile organic compounds for individuals with occupations associated with potential exposure to motor vehicle exhaust and/or gasoline vapor emissions    Next AbstractExposure to volatile organic compounds in residences adjacent to dyeing industrial complex »

Environ Res

Title:		Comparison of outdoor and indoor mobile source-related volatile organic compounds between low- and high-floor apartments
Author(s):		Jo WK; Kim KY; Park KH; Kim YK; Lee HW; Park JK;
Address:		"Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea. wkjo@knu.ac.kr"
Journal Title:		Environ Res
Year:		2003
Volume:		92
Issue:		2
Page Number:		166 - 171
DOI:		10.1016/s0013-9351(03)00013-6
ISSN/ISBN:		0013-9351 (Print) 0013-9351 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The current study examined the hypothesis that there may be vertical variation in mobile source-related volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations in high-rise apartment buildings. One hundred twelve homes in 56 high-rise apartment buildings with 10 or more stories participated in the study. Both the outdoor and the indoor air concentrations of three VOCs [methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), benzene, and toluene] were significantly higher for the low-floor apartments than for the high-floor apartments (P < 0.05). The median outdoor concentrations were 5.4, 6.8, and 29.1 microgram/m3, respectively, for the low-floor apartments, yet 4.4, 4.3, and 21.9 microgram/m3, respectively, for the high-floor apartments. Meanwhile, the median indoor concentrations were 6.3, 9.4, and 44.8 microgram/m3, respectively, for the low-floor apartments, yet 5.1, 7.6, and 38.8 microgram/m3, respectively, for the high-floor apartments. These findings indicate that residents of low-floor apartments are exposed to elevated residential levels of mobile source-related VOCs compared to high-floor apartment residents. The indoor concentrations of the target VOCs, except for MTBE, were significantly higher than the outdoor air concentrations for both the low and high floors (P < 0.05). Plus, the outdoor and indoor VOC concentrations were significantly different between the daytime and nighttime data sets for both low- and high-floor apartments, with a P value of less than or close to 0.05"
Keywords:		"Air Pollutants/*analysis Air Pollution, Indoor/*analysis Benzene/analysis *Environmental Monitoring *Housing Humans Methyl Ethers/analysis Organic Chemicals/*analysis Toluene/analysis Urban Population Volatilization;"
Notes:		"MedlineJo, Wan-Kuen Kim, Ki-Young Park, Kun-Ho Kim, Yoo-Keun Lee, Hwa-Woon Park, Jong-Kil eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2003/07/12 Environ Res. 2003 Jun; 92(2):166-71. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(03)00013-6"