Housing Characteristics and Indoor Concentrations of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Quebec City, Canada

Concentrations of 26 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured continuously for 7 days during winter in 96 homes in Quebec City, Canada. Characteristics of the houses and activities of the occupants were documented through detailed questionnaires filled out by one adult per household. VOCs wer...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Indoor + built environment 2008-04, Vol.17 (2), p.128-137
Main Authors: Héroux, Marie-Ève, Gauvin, Denis, Gilbert, Nicolas L., Guay, Mireille, Dupuis, Geneviève, Legris, Michel, Lévesque, Benoît
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dwellings
Evaluation
Heating, cooling and ventilation
Housing
Identification and classification
Indoor air quality
Measurement
Volatile organic compounds
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Concentrations of 26 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured continuously for 7 days during winter in 96 homes in Quebec City, Canada. Characteristics of the houses and activities of the occupants were documented through detailed questionnaires filled out by one adult per household. VOCs were sampled using passive monitors and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass selective detector (GC-MSD). Results indicate contributions to indoor levels of some VOCs from combustion sources and recent renovation activities. Negative associations were seen between certain VOCs and the presence of carpets and furniture. In general, higher VOCs concentrations were found in newer houses. No association was found between individual VOCs and air change rate. Results suggest that multiple indoor sources contribute to occupants' exposure to VOCs during winter in Quebec City homes.
ISSN:1420-326X
1423-0070
DOI:10.1177/1420326X07089005