Indoor Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are classified as known or possible toxicants and odorants. This study characterized VOC levels in 11 homes in an area in the capital of Seoul by using two different methods of VOCs sampling, which are the active sampling using a thermal sorption tube and the passive sampling using a diffusion sampler. When using the active sampling method, the total target VOC concentration ranged from 41.7 to 420.7 μg/ m3 (mean 230.4 μg/m3; median 221.8 μg/m3) during winter and 21.3 to 1,431.9 μg/m3 (mean 340.1 μg/m3; median 175.4 μg/m3) during summer. When using the passive method, 29.6 to 257.5 μg/m3 (mean 81.8 μg/m3; median 49.4 μg/m3) during winter and 1.2 to 5,131.1 μg/m3 (mean 1,758.8 μg/m3; median 1,375.1 μg/m3) during summer. Forty-nine VOCs were quantified and toluene showed the highest concentration regardless of the season and the sampling method studied. The distribution of VOCs was relatively varied by using the active method. However, it showed a low correlation with indoor environmental factors such as room temperature, humidity and ventilation time. The correlation between indoor environmental factors and VOCs were relatively high in the passive method. In particular, these characteristics were confirmed by principal component analysis.

Two sewage treatment facilities were selected to identify odor emission characteristics, focusing on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sulfur compounds. The complex odor, 5 kinds of sulfur compounds and 23 kinds of VOCs were analyzed from gas and sludge storages. Hydrogen sulfide was detected in the highest concentration and had the highest odor quotient among the odorous compounds monitored in this study, demonstrating that the contribution of hydrogen sulfide to the complex odor reached up to 90%. For VOCs, the overall contribution to the complex odor was not critical but VOCs can sufficiently trigger an odorous sensation because the sum of the odor quotient reached up to 2.89.

This paper is a review on the treatment of volatile organic compounds using absorbents. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based compounds with a boiling point ranging from 50℃ to 250℃. VOCs have been considered as contributors of photochemical smog and global warming as well as hazards to human health. VOCs can be removed by a variety of methods, including those that are destructive (incineration, catalytic oxidation, and biodegradation) and non-destructive (adsorption, absorption, and condensation). The removal performance of VOCs in the gas phase is influenced by gas-liquid mass transfer and/or the microbial activity depending on VOC properties such as solubility, diffusivity, bioavailability, and toxicity. Since the usual processes for VOCs removal involve water as a VOC absorbent, it is necessary to improve the removal efficiency of hydrophobic VOCs. In addition, VOC removal processes do not appear to show consistently satisfactory performance due to transient high-strength VOC loading in practical fields. To increase the gas-liquid mass transfer of hydrophobic VOCs and to prevent the functional deterioration due to transient high loading, the use of nonaqueous phase VOC absorbents is a promising strategy. This review offers a critical overview of the types, properties, and the applications of the VOC absorbents, including liquid organic solvents, ionic liquids, and solid polymers. This paper also details the advantages by employing the VOC absorbents for the removal of hydrophobic VOCs in the integrated process, absorption and biodegradation coupling process. The challenges of and future perspectives on the development of efficient VOC removal processes using VOC absorbents are briefly discussed.

점토를 이용하여 세 종류의 새로운 형태의 변형된 유기물점토를 제조하였다. Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)를 점토에 층간 삽입시켜 OC-CPC를 합성하였고, Aluminium 축을 갖는 Al-PILC 만든 후, cetylpyridinium chloride를 Al-PILC에 삽입시켜 IOC-CPC 화합물을 합성하였다. IR과 TGA를 이용하여 이들 구조를 분석한 결과 층간 삽입반응이 성공적으로 이루어졌음을 확인할 수 있었다. X-ray 회절을 이용하여 층간 거리를 조사하였는데 OC-CPC가 제일 큰 값을 보여 주었다. 층간 구조를 갖는 화합물들은 삽입반응을 이용하여 구조를 변형시킬 수 있으며 이를 통해 층간거리, 표면적, 공간 크기, 화학적 친화성 같은 여러 물리적 성질들을 바꿀 수 있으므로, 본 논문에서는 자연점토를 이용하여 층간 반응을 통해 휘발성 유기화합물의 흡착에 쓰일 수 있는 유용한 유기점토 화합물을 합성하고 이들의 구조를 확인코자 하였다. 벤젠과 톨루엔의 흡착은 IOC-CPC나 Al-PILC에서 보다 OC-CPC에서 더 잘 이루어졌으며, 자연점토에서는 거의 흡착이 일어나지 않았다. OC-CPC 화합물에서는 친 소수성 성질이 크고 층간 거리도 증가했기 때문에 흡착이 잘 일어났다고 볼 수 있으며, 반면에 친수성이 큰 Al-PILC 에서는 벤젠과 톨루엔 같은 휘발성 유기물에 대한 흡착이 상대적으로 적게 일어났다.

The aim of this study was to examine indoor fungal concentration and fungal volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in single-person households. A total of 22 houses occupied by one person were investigated in this study. 19 VOCs detected in the field were estimated as fungi-derived VOCs through a review of the literature, and 11 VOCs were confirmed as fungal VOCs by laboratory experiments. Exposure to fungal VOCs in the indoor environment has been confirmed to be highly influenced by airborne fungal concentration and indoor humidity. 3-octanone was characterized by a clear generation profile in Aspergilus versiocolor, and n-decane in Pencillum chrysogenum. ntetradecane emitted by Stachybotrys chartarum exhibited a tendency to occur consistently. The observations made in this study demonstrated that single-person households can easily be exposed to fungi, and MVOCs can be used as an indicator of fungal exposure in indoor environments.

There has been growing concern over the emissions of formaldehyde and VOCs from automotive interior materials, as these could have an important impact on the in-vehicle air quality (IVAQ) of automotive vehicles. Odor along with VOCs refers to the automotive interior smell emitted directly or indirectly from any part of an automotive interior, based on human olfactory senses and a comfort evaluation of vehicle quality. The objective of this paper is to compare the odor intensity using GC/MS analysis method and odor sensory test in accordance with ISO 12219-2. For the compounds having low odor threshold value and high VOC concentration, it was found that there was the same tendency in each field of odor whether the instrument analysis method or the odor sensory test method was used.

Per capita nail-products use and airborne VOCs emission in four techniques of nail care (full coat coloring, UVgel polish, repair silk, and acrylic overlay) are estimated in this study. These assessments were carried out in a sealed test chamber using artificial hand and nails. A polish remover and a gel cleanser as cleanser and acrylic liquid as solvent were the most commonly used nail products in all 4 of the nail care techniques. Acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and methanol, which are major components of a polish remover, were commonly detected in all nail care techniques while acetone was detected the most. In addition to these airborne VOCs, a variety of other components such as ethyl acetate, cyclohexane, and toluene were identified in full coat coloring technique. In the process of UV-gel polish care technique, the main airborne VOCs were caused by solvents and were not involved in the curing process of UV gels (base gel and top gel) and gel bonder. In the case of repair silk nail care techniques, which generated the most VOCs, the total amount of VOCs detected was about 1,118.8 ± 359.6 mg/capita. Of the VOCs, butane (862.2 ± 283.9 mg/capita), which is contained in glue dryer, represented the largest share. In the process of acrylic overlay nail care technique, ethyl methacrylate (EMA), which is the basic element of acrylic, and highly toxic methyl methacrylate (MMA) were detected at 396.6 ± 42.3 mg/capita and 141.8 ± 8.2 mg/capita, respectively. The per capita data is very useful in designing a ventilation system for environmental improvement of a nail shop and setting a health care policy for nail artists and customers.

The consumer products in the living environments include a variety of chemicals which could be harmful in the human health. The aim of this study was to assess the inhalation exposure and risk for cleaning workers who had used bleach in the university. A total of 81 cleaning workers took part in this study. Frequency and amount of cleaning bleach during working hours were investigated by questionnaire interviews. Exposure assessment was used by the exposure algorithm and exposure factors. Used cleaning bleaches were analyzed to identify the ingredients, and risk by exposure was assessed by separating as carcinogen and non-carcinogen substances. The results of chemical substances and the questionnaire were used to assess the exposure factors, and the inhalation doses were calculated through inhalation exposure algorithm. According to the questionnaires for the cleaning workers, frequence of cleaning bleach was 11.66 ± 7.21 times per month. And average usage time and amount per cleaning work were 30.78 ± 36.00 minute and 20099.53 ± 12998.60 mg, respectively. Risks for carcinogenic substances of formaldehyde, ethylbenzene, and chloroform were exceeded by 56.79%, 27.16%, and 82.72% as the reference value of 10−6, respectively.

About half of the South Korean population lives in the three major metropolitan areas, which are Seoul, Kyeonggi and Incheon. Among this group, more than 50% live in apartments. In this study, the relationship between the concentration of indoor VOCs and environmental factors was investigated in metropolitan apartments in the occupation stage. The maximum concentration of TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) was monitored in spring season. Among the identified VOCs, toluene was present in the highest amount, followed by terpene, aldehyde and hydrocarbon. Due to the specific indoor sources, the I/O ratio of terpene (e.g. d-limonene, α-pinene, and β-pinene) was relatively higher than that of the others. The construction year and length of residence were revealed as the environmental factors having the greatest influence on the concentration of indoor benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, styrene and hydrocarbon, and the relationship was statistically significant. The floor and size of the apartment influenced the levels of indoor nonanal. The relationships between individual VOCs showed highly positive correlations that are statistically significant. Through the relationship study, it was found that factors including newly built apartment, short period of time after moving in, high floors and small floor area were the main factors inducing an increased concentration of indoor VOCs in apartments.

In the current study, oxidative decomposition of a volatile organic compound was investigated at room temperature and pressure. The experiment was carried out in lower ethylene concentration and with various higher gas flow rates. The reactor has 7 different compartments in which the reaction takes place independently. Plasma was generated inside each compartment by the application of alternating current (AC) voltage. 5 wt% manganese loaded and 5 wt% silver loaded 13X zeolite were used as catalysts. Bare zeolite showed higher ethylene decomposition efficiency than Ag loaded and Mn loaded zeolite. Ozone concentration was increased slightly while increasing the SIE, reached a maximum and started decreasing. Ag loaded zeolite also showed similar decomposition efficiency, but the concentration of ozone was greatly lowered.

This study attempts to investigate the impact of pollution by VOCs at schools located around Shihwa national industrial complex. Schools around the Shihwa national industrial complex were divided into two categories based on location, with five schools located near the industrial complex and five schools located near housing development. Samples of the indoor air and the outdoor air were collected from each classified school and analyzed to evaluate the impact of the industrial complex on each school through a comparison and to find the correlation between them. In combination with this, this study attempted to conduct comparative evaluations of the schools in which there might be relatively higher indoor air pollution since new construction and extension or remodelling had recently been carried out with other schools. The samples collected from 10 places in total were analyzed, using GC/MS. TVOCs, and individual component of VOCs, were detected in the schools near shihwa national industrial complex at higher levels than in the schools nearby housing development. TVOCs were detected at the schools in the industrial complex st levels of 166.5 μg/m3, that is, about 1.5 times higher than the level detected at the schools outside the industrial complex. TVOCs were found in the indoor air of the schools that had been extended or remodelled less than 3 years ago at levels of 188.8 μg/m3, while in schools where more than 3 years had passed since extention or remodelling they were found at levels of 97.5 μg/m3, meaning they were about 1.9 times higher in schools in the first 3 years.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of malodor and VOCs reduction that could be achieved through the installation of a vapor recovery system (VRS) in a gas station. It was revealed that the reduction efficiencies of malodor by running VRS were about 93% around the oil feeder, 32% in the office and 45% in the site boundary. Specifically, it was remarkable that reduction efficiencies of BTEX over 90% were recorded through VRS operation. In addition, the results of continuous monitoring of THC around the oil feeder device provided good evidence of the inhibition of oil mist diffusion after running VRS.

In order to use as a new functional food material, we analyzed the chemical components including the organic compounds, minerals and Vitamin C of sorbus and acacia honey which were produced in South Korea. The condensed rate of methanol extraction in honey was 77% of sorbus honey and it was 93.06% of acacia honey. In the case of sorbus honey, main organic compounds that extract by organic solvents in GC-MS analysis were trichloromethane, propylcarbinol, cyclopentane, acetoxyethane, tetrasol, aziridine etc. and main aromatic compounds that extract by organic solvents in SPME analysis were Skelly solve, Benzaldehyde, Hyacinthin, Dodecanal, Lauraldehyde etc. Also, in occasion of acacia honey, main organic compounds were trichloromethan, Acetoxyethane, Hexanaphthene, acetidin etc. and main aromatic compounds were Hydrazomethan, Azulene, Cyclotrisiloxane, Hydrazine etc. Proximate composition was crude protein 0.54%, crude fat 0.44%, crude ash 0.25% in sorbus honey and crude protein 0.10%, crude fat 0.29%, crude ash 0.06% in acacia honey. Free sugar that analyze by HPLC was fructose 26.81%, glucose 20.42%, total sugars 47.23% in sorbus honey and fructose 48.52%, glucose 24.29%, total sugars 72.81% in acacia honey. Vitamin C was not detected in two sample honeys. Minerals by ICP analysis were detected total 18 kinds in sorbus honey, K 11.715 ppm>Na 7.857 ppm>Si 4.407 ppm>Ca 3.673 ppm etc. and total 22 kinds in acacia honey, Na 4.527 ppm>Si 3.420 ppm>K 3.091 ppm>Zn 1.482 ppm etc.

In order to use as a new functional food material, we analyzed the chemical components including the organic compounds, minerals and vitamin C of canola honey which were produced in South Korea. The condensed rate of methanol extraction in honey was 90.5% and main organic compounds that extract by organic solvents in GC-MS analysis were propyl carbinol, cyclopentane, trichloromethane, vinegar naphtha and so on. Also, main aromatic compounds that extract by organic solvents in SPME analysis were diisooctyl adipate, furole, furaldehyde, cyclotetrasiloxane, trisulfide and many more. As proximate composition, crude ash content was lower than acacia honey (0.06%) and manuka honey (0.24%) by 0.01%, and crude protein was higher than acacia honey (0.10%) by 0.23%, but the crude fat of canola and manuka honey was lower content than acacia honey (0.44%) by 0.10%. Free sugar that analyze by HPLC consisted of fructose 44.11%, glucose 22.72%, and total sugars was 66.83%. Minerals by ICP analysis were detected total 15 kinds, Na 7.157 ppm>Ca 5.934 ppm>Si 4.049 ppm>K 1.443 ppm>Mg 1.218 ppm etc. Vitamin C was not detected.

Volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are harmful substances that contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric photochemical ozone formation, and carcinogenic human health effects. Worldwide, there are major concerns over the emission of VOCs. Any plans for pollution reduction and management should be established based on database of VOC emission and characteristics. In this paper, the status of VOCs by year, region, and industry were investigated, and then technologies for VOC emission control were introduced. The estimation of VOC emissions by year was gradually increased, and VOC emission due to the utilization of organic solvents was the most common form. VOCs in the atmosphere were detected at the highest concentration in industrial complexes. In most of the industry, it was confirmed that emissions of toluene were the highest among the VOCs. Finally, available VOCs control technologies were introduced, including thermal and catalytic oxidation, adsorption, absorption, biological treatment, non-thermal plasma, electron beam irradiation, and photocatalyst.

Volatile organic compounds(VOCs) detected frequently in the indoor air of child-care centers causes neurological disorders, lung, eyes, and bronchial irritation, and acute and chronic toxicity. In this study, the distributions of carcinogenic VOCs detected in child-care centers were characterized and a health risk assessment of the VOCs was performed, which can provide the necessary information for drawing up safety plans with respect to the concerned materials. The sampling of sites in day-care centers was undertaken two times: in the morning (10:00~12:00), and afternoon(16:00~20:00)-at 23 daycare centers located in Seoul, Korea from April, 2012 to July, 2012. The overall average concentrations of individual VOCs were benzene(1.61 μg/m3) > carbon tetrachloride (0.78 μg/m3) > chloroform(0.67 μg/m3) in order. Indoor/outdoor(I/O) ratios of benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform were 1.33, 1.09, 1.72, respectively. Benzene and carbon tetrachloride are thought to be more strongly associated with outdoor sources as compared to chloroform. Spearman correlation of benzene, carbon tetrachloride between indoor and outdoor concentration showed statistically significant levels(p < 0.05). The linear correlations for benzene, styrene, and carbon tetrachloride were tested. A significant correlation was observed only for carbon tetrachloride, accounting for 83 % of the variance. The risk assessment of the carcinogenic VOCs for teachers, infants, and children showed that none of the targeted VOCs posed a serious risk.