Journal article
Volatile organic compounds within indoor environments in Australia
NB Goodman, A Steinemann, AJ Wheeler, PJ Paevere, M Cheng, SK Brown
Building and Environment | PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD | Published : 2017
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are pervasive indoor air pollutants. This paper systematically evaluates 25 years (1991–2016) of investigations of VOCs within indoor environments in Australia. Among 31 papers evaluated, the most frequently studied environment was domestic housing (61%), and the most frequently quantified compound was formaldehyde (81%). Active sampling techniques were used in 82% of studies of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), and in 38% of studies of formaldehyde and other carbonyls. New homes had the highest VOC levels among all studies of domestic housing. For nearly all pollutants, indoor levels were several times higher than outdoor levels. Among the ..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The study received support from the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub, at the University of Melbourne, through the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy; CSIRO Land and Water; CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere (Climate Science Centre); the Centre for Air quality and health Research and evaluation (CAR), an NHRMC Centre of Research Excellence; and the Australian Department of Education and Training (Australian Postgraduate Award). The authors thank the supporters of this study, and Peter Franklin, Amy Davis, Peter Schouten and Kirsten Raynor for their invaluable contributions to this article.