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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Indoor-pollutant concentrations and exposures. Final report, 21 Jun 89-31 Oct 91

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7225528
The project was designed to study indoor exposures to 30 chemicals representing a broad range of very volatile organic compounds (WOCs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and semi-volatile organic compounds (SOCs). Most of these chemicals will be considered by the California Air Resources Board for identification as toxic air contaminants. Indoor and outdoor samples were collected in 128 homes, and a total of 120 residents participated in personal monitoring. Information on residents' microenvironments also was collected. Common VOCs were found most often, and at the highest concentration, in indoor and personal air samples. WOCs and SOCs were less often found and usually at low concentrations for all air samples. For all of the common VOCs, personal air samples showed the highest concentrations followed by indoor air and then outdoor air samples. The study confirms previous observations that indoor levels of many VOCs are higher than outdoor levels. The indoor and personal concentrations from the study are very similar to those obtained in other northern California homes but lower than those from southern California homes. The findings from this and other related studies will improve the risk estimates of Californians' exposure to air pollution.
Research Organization:
Research Triangle Inst., Durham, NC (United States)
OSTI ID:
7225528
Report Number(s):
PB-92-235837/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English