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.

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.

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.

본 연구는 감꽃의 주요 향기성분을 알아보기 위해서 감나무 수령별로 감꽃의 향기성분을 SPME를 이용하여 분석하고, 기관을 꽃과 꽃받침으로 분류하여 향기성분을 비교하였다. 감나무 수령별 감꽃의 만개율은 15년생 이상, 10-14년생, 5-9년생 순으로 수령이 오래될수록 초기 만개율이 높았다. 감나무 수령에 따른 감꽃 향기성분 분석 시 동정된 주요 향기 성분은 a-pinene, butene, caryophyllene, cubebene, lavandulol, D-limoneneylangene, ylangene 등의 성분을 얻을 수 있었다. 대부분이 green 향, fruit계, floral계의 옅은 향도 포함하고 있었다. 감꽃에 존재하는 휘발성 향기성분의 수는 5-9년생은 30종, 10-14년생은 24종, 그리고 15년생 이상에서는 32종으로 수령이 5년 미만과 15년 이상에서 많은 향기성분이 조사되었다. 감꽃을 꽃받침과 나누어 향기성분을 비교하면 단감 ‘부유’ 품종 중 꽃의 향기 성분은 10개이고 상대적인 총 함량은 26.35%이며, 꽃받침은 향기 성분은 14개 이고 상대적인 총 함량은 46.28%로 꽃에 비해서 더 다양한 향기성분이 존재하는 것으로 조사되었다. 반면 떫 은감 ‘둥시’ 품종은 꽃에서는 6개의 향기성분이 17.58%, 꽃받침에서는 9개의 향기 성분이 50.27%로, ‘부유’ 품종 에 좀더 다양한 향기성분이 존재하였다. 본 연구는 감꽃 향기를 이용하고자 하는 향기산업에 기초자료를 제공하 는데 기여할 것이다.

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.

The adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was carried out using an activated carbon fiber (ACF) filter in an automobile. The adsorption capacities of formaldehyde, toluene, and benzene on an ACF filter were far better than those of a polypropylene (PP) mat filter and combined (PP+activated carbon) mat filter by batch adsorption in a gas bag. In a continuous flow of air containing toluene vapor through an ACF packed bed, the breakpoint time was very long, the length of the unused bed was short, and sharp "S" -type breakthrough curve was plotted soon after breakpoint, showing a narrow mass transfer zone of toluene on the ACF. The adsorption amount of toluene on the ACF filter was proportional to the specific surface area of the ACF; however, the development of mesopores 2-5 nm in size on the ACF was very effective with regard to the adsorption of toluene. The ACF air clarifier filter is strongly recommended to remove VOCs in newly produced automobiles.

비육돈사의 슬러리에 함유된 악취물질의 농도를 계절별로 비교하여 초지 및 농경지에 살포되는 분뇨의 악취강도를 예측하고자 수행되었다. 1.비육돈사의 슬러리에 함유된 휘발성유기물의 계절별 농도 비교페놀류 중 p-크레졸 농도는 봄, 여름 및 가을에 차이가 없었지만, 페놀, 인돌 및 스카톨 농도는 여름과 가을에 비해 봄에 높았다(p<0.05). 돼지 슬러리의 경우 p-크레졸과 스카톨이 악취강도에 큰 영향을 주기 때문에 계절에 따른 휘발성유기물의 악취강도 차이는 크지 않을 것으로 판단된다. 2.비육돈사의 슬러리에 함유된 휘발성지방산의 계절별 농도 비교휘발성지방산의 경우 악취강도가 높지 않은 단쇄지방산의 농도는 봄철이 여름과 가을보다 높았으나(p<0.05), 악취강도가 상대적으로 높은 이성체지방산의 농도는 계절별로 숫자적인 차이는 보였지만 통계적인 차이는 없었다(p> 0.05). 계절에 따라 휘발성지방산이 악취강도에 미치는 영향은 높지 않을 것으로 판단된다. 결과적으로 봄철에 악취물질의 농도가 더 높은 것은 온도, 환기 및 돈사내부로 유입되는 물의 양에 의한 것으로 추정되며, 여름철은 슬러리에서 생성되는 악취농도 보다 환기에 의해 휘산되는 양이 많아서 슬러리의 악취농도가 감소되거나 증가되지 않았을 가능성이 있는 것으로 판단된다. 이상의 연구결과를 종합하면 비육돈사의 슬러리를 초지 또는 농경지에 살포하였을 때 계절에 의한 악취강도의 차이는 크지 않을 것으로 기대된다.

환경대기 중의 휘발성유기화합물을 채취할 때 사용하는 샘플링 방법은 백을 이용한 샘 플링 방법과 흡착관을 이용한 샘플링이 대표적이다. 본 연구에서는 실제 대기시료를 이 용하여 두 샘플링 방법을 동시에 진행하여 비교하고자 하였다. 시료의 채취방법에 따른 회수율 정도를 알아보기 위해, 청국장을 조리하면서 발생하는 시료를 채취하는 과정에서 실험을 진행하였다. 그 결과, 유기산의 회수율이 백 샘플링보다 흡착관을 이용한 샘플링 에서 평균적으로 98.6 %의 percent difference (PD)를 나타내는 것을 확인하였다. 카보닐 계열과 방향족은 19.2와 34.3 %로 비교적 적은 차이를 나타냈다. 각 성분 중에서 butyl acetate는 0.50 %로 가장 낮은 수치를 보였고, TMA도 마찬가지로 비교적 낮은 수치를 기록하였다(2.13 %). 이러한 결과는 현장 조건에서 채취방식의 중요성을 확인해 주었다

The children of daycare center are sensitive to indoor environmental pollution. This study was a preliminary investigation for improving the environmental and healthy quality of daycare centers. The sampling of sites in daycare centers was undertaken three times such as day-morning (10:00-12:00), afternoon (16:00-20:00), following dawn (04:00-08:00)-at 21 daycare centers located in Seoul, Korea from April, 2012 to July, 2012. The mean concentrations of TVOC were 255.2, 217.0, and 439.4 μg/m3 at morning, afternoon, and following dawn, respectively. The daycare center indoor/outdoor ratios on the most targeted volatile organic compounds were above 1.0 except that for carbon tetrachloride, which was almost 1.0. Significant correlations (p<0.01) were observed between indoor and outdoor carbon tetrachloride, which implies that indoor carbon tetrachloride could be largely accounted for by outdoor sources. The other targeted indoor volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, xylenes, chloroform showed no significant correlations with that of outdoor.

There has been a growing concern about the emissions of formaldehyde and VOCs from automotive interior materials which could have an important impact on the in-vehicle air quality(IVAQ) of automotive vehicles. Many leading automobile manufacturers have now introduced their own specification standards for testing and limiting emissions from products produced by their suppliers. In addition, ISO (International Standard Organization) has been established ISO 12219-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to determine the emissions of volatile organic compounds from automotive vehicle. The objective of this paper is to compare the area specific emission rates determined from surface emissions testing using the microchamber(MC) in comparison with a 1 m³ emission test chamber(ETC) operated in accordance with ISO 12219-3, ISO 12219-4. Measured emission concentrations in absolute terms were different between Microchamber and 1 m³ chamber. However, qualitative comparison of the chromatograms shows that the Microchamber is able to perform a screening test

This study was performed in the 175 selected child-care facilities in the urban area (Seoul, Suwon, Daejeon, and Busan) and the industrial complex area (Sihwa and Yeosu) to measure of the characteristics of VOCs in the indoor air from August, 2007 to April, 2008. All samples were collected at the indoor and outdoor places to the child-care facilities in spring, summer, and winter seasons using the Tenex absorption trap and were analyzed through the GC/MSD. The mean concentration of VOCs in the 175 child-card facilities showed the highest levels of 73.68 ㎍/m³in the toluene and the lowest levels of 0.28 ㎍/m³in the chlorobenzene. In the concentration of the TVOC, it exceeded 2.5 times more as the indoor air quality guideline in Korea. The result of this study was found that the concentration of VOCs in the child-care facilities in Korea may influenced from the some factors such as the constructional period, traffic density, and ventilation rate. These findings may expected to imply that effective risk management strategies should be applied to minimize the public health effects for children in the child-care facilities in Korea.

This study presents residential indoor and outdoor exposure concentrations distributions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs, benzene, toluene, xylene) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in industrial area (case) and agricultural area (control) during 5 days. Concentrations of VOCs and NO₂ were measured with passive samplers in residential indoor and outdoor. Most of benzene, toluene and NO₂ mean concentrations in case area were higher than those in control area. Considering the indoor and outdoor ratios (I/O) were higher than 1, the residence might be have the sources of indoor air pollutants such as smoking and using of gas range. Residential indoor concentrations of benzene, toluene, and NO₂ with indoor smokers were higher than those and without indoor smokers. In conclusion, it is suggested that personal exposures to air pollutants might be affected by indoor sources as well as outdoor pollutants emitted from industrial complex, and indoor air quality and outdoor air quality should be simultaneously considered to reduce the personal exposure to air pollutants.