United States
               Environmental Protection
               Agency
 Air and Energy Engineering
 Research Laboratory
 Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
               Research and Development
 EPA/600/SR-92/025   April 1992
EPA       Project Summary
                Indoor Air  Quality Data  Base for
                Organic  Compounds
               Max M. Samfield
                 A data base for concentrations of
               organic compounds measured indoors
               has been compiled. Based on a review
               of the literature from 1979 through 1990,
               the data base contains information on
               over 220 compounds ranging  in mo-
               lecular  weight from 30 to  446.  The
               compounds are arranged in order of
               increasing number of carbon atoms, -
               from 1 to 31. The data base contains:
               the number of carbon atoms; the name
               of the compound; its empirical formula;
               its molecular weight; the odor thresh-
               old (when available); the  minimum,
               maximum, median, and mean concen-
               trations; the standard deviation; the ref-
               erence number; the sampling time; and
               the type of building. All concentration
               data are given in micrograms per cubic
               meter. The following compounds were
               the most frequently reported: formal-
               dehyde, tetrachloroethylene, 1,1,1-
               trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, ben-
               zene,  p-dichlorobenzene, toluene,
               ethylbenzene,  xylenes, decane, and
               undecane. About 50% of the reported
               compounds contained 9 carbon atoms
               or fewer,  and 90% had 23 carbon at-
               oms or fewer.  Sampling times for the
               pollutants varied from as little as 15
               minutes to as long as 2  weeks. Grab
               sampling, real time sampling, and inte-
               grated sampling methods were  used.
               Odor thresholds for the pollutants re-
               ported were, in general, three to five
               orders of magnitude higher than the
               measured concentrations.
                 This Project Summary was developed
               by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
               Research Laboratory,  Research Tri-
               angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
 Ings of the research project that is fully
 documented in a separate report of the
 same title (see Project Report ordering
 information at back).

 Introduction
  Many  pollutants found  in ambient air
 are present to a larger extent in indoor air.
 Thus, indoor air might present problems
 with  regard to  potential  health effects.
 Since most of the efforts directed toward
 ambient  air analysis were  with respect to
 the criteria, pollutants, it was natural that
 these pollutants would be the first to be
 studied in indoor air. In indoor air, such
 pollutants as carbon dioxide, carbon mon-
 oxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate mat-
 ter have  been studied extensively.
  Of the organic compounds, particularly
 the volatile organic compounds  (VOCs),
 only formaldehyde has been studied ex-
 tensively in indoor air. Yet many sources
 of organic compounds in indoor  air have
 their origins in commonly used materials.
 Such  materials include caulking com-
 pounds,  hair sprays, rug  cleaners,  and
 paints and varnishes. In addition, building
 materials and interior furnishings (such as
furniture, floor tile, draperies, and rugs)
 may be sources of organic compounds.
  This report provides hard copy of a data
base of  indoor concentrations of vapor-
phase organic  compounds based on a
 review of the literature through 1990. Disks
containing the data are not available.

 Data Base Description
  Appendix A of the report presents the
data base (see the example  in Table 1).
It contains approximately 220 organic com-
pounds ranging from 1 - to 31 -carbon atom
                                                                Feinted on Recycled Paper

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Tabla 1. Example from IAQ Data Base
c
2
2

Compound
Acetaldebyde
Ethanol

Formula
C2H40
C2H60

Mol.
Wt.
44
46

Odor
Hfl/rti3 Mm.
1,980
20
93,000
2.070 + 05

Meas. Cone, fag/m3)
Max. Median
48
767
1374
408

Mean S.D.
17
2.1


, Ref.
1
24
3
3
3
Time
h
4-7D
8
0.25-3
0.25-3
0.25-3
Bldg.
Type
R,A
OB
R
R
R
  2   N-Nltroso-Dimethytamino    C2H6N20   74
                                        0.33
                                                        0.17
                                                                                       AU
  3   Propane
C3H8      44     1.80e + 06
42
                                       0.25-3
3 Isopropanol (Propanol-2) C3H80 60




3 Acetone (Propanone) C3H60 58


3 Lactic Acid C3H603 90

90,000



14.8
7.70e + 05
2.12e + 05
47,500 28.8
1.60e + 05

140
258
80

137
157

67
1.8
0.6
3
3
3
6.9 24
37
39 1
7.5 24
37
10
10
0.25 - 3
0.25 - 3
0.25-3
8

4-7D
8



R
R
R
OB
OB
R,A
OB
OB
OB
OB
compounds. These compounds range in
molecular weight from 30 to 446.  The
compounds are arranged in order of in-
creasing number of carbon atoms.  The
data are taken from the references listed
In Appendix C.  Reference numbers are
listed In the column labeled REF in the
data base.
  The odor threshold values in the fifth
column of the primary data base were
taken from several references.  In cases
where several odor threshold values are
given for tho same compound, the values
may differ by as much as  an order  of
magnitude. This should not be surprising
In view of the subjective judgement re-
quired in such tests. Also, different inves-
tigators used different test methods, and
the number of subjects involved varied
considerably.  In some cases, impurities
in the test materials may have altered the
results.
  Minimum, maximum, median,  and/or
mean concentrations (in micrograms per
cubic meter) are presented in the appro-
priate columns. Where compounds were
identified but not quantified, all the col-
umns are blank.  In most cases, decimal
notation is used; for very large and  very
small numbers, scientific notation is used.
The standard deviations of the data are
also given, when available.
               The column labeled TIME (second from
             last column) is the sampling time in hours,
             except where otherwise indicated. In this
             column, a "D" indicates the time in days
             and a "W indicates weeks.
               In the column labeled BLDG. TYPE, the
             type  of building investigated is given as
             follows: A = Apartment, AU = Automobile,
             CB = Commercial Building, H = Hospital,
             MH = Mobile Home, NH = Nursing Home,
             OB = Office Building, R = Residence, S =
             School, and V = Various  types of build-
             ings.
               Appendix B of the report contains infor-
             mation on  "Sources  of  Indoor Organic
             Compounds" (see the example in  Table
             2).   It lists  substantiated and possible
             sources for most of the indoor pollutants
             contained in the data base. The informa-
             tion in Appendix B should be used with
             some caution,  because the  composition
             of materials  and products changes over
             time  as manufacturers alter their manu-
             facturing processes and products.

             Observations
               A review of the data shows concentra-
             tions  of pollutants ranging from below the
             quantification level to more than 80,000
             ug/m3. There is a paucity of data on the
             standard  deviation  of  concentration val-
               ues reported in the literature. It is impor-
               tant for users of  the  data  to know the
               standard deviation in order to know how
               much confidence to place in the reported
               values.   Other than listing the standard
               deviation, when reported, this report makes
               no effort to judge  the quality of the data.
               To do this, the reader should obtain  a
               copy of the reference and use his or her
               own judgement.
                 About 50% of the compounds listed con-
               tained  9 carbon atoms or  fewer;  about
               90% had 23 carbon atoms or fewer.
                 The following compounds were the most
               frequently  reported: formaldehyde,
               tetrachloroethylene, 1,1,1 -trichloroethane,
               trichloroethylene, benzene, p-dichloroben-
               zene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, de-
               cane, and undecane.
                 Sampling times for the pollutants varied
               widely, from as little as 15 minutes to as
               long  as 2 weeks.  Grab sampling,  real
               time  sampling,  and integrated sampling
               were used.
                 Odor thresholds for the pollutants were,
               in general, three to five orders of magni-
               tude  higher than the concentrations actu-
               ally measured.   One cannot, therefore,
               expect to detect the presence of a pollut-
               ant through odor alone.

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Table 2. Example from Source Data Base
            Compound
Formula
Substantiated Sources
Possible Sources
2
2
3
3

3
3
3
3
3
4
Ethanol
N-Nitroso-Dimethylamine
Propane
Isopropanol

Acetone (Propanone)
Lactic Acid
PyruvicAcid
1, 2 - Dichloropropane
Dibromochloropropane
Ethylacetate
C2H60
C2H6N20
C3H8
C3H80

C3H60
C3H603
C3H403
C3H6C12
C3H5Br2CI
C4H802
fiberboard
auto interior furnishings
auto exhaust
particle board

lacquer solvent, auto exhaust




linoleum floor covering
solvent, antifreeze, tobacco smoke
gasoline
fuel gas, refrigerant, tobacco smoke
antifreeze, solvent for gums, shellac,
essential oils, cosmetics
tobacco smoke, Pharmaceuticals

medicinal ointments?


artificial fruit essences, solvent for
 4       Butane                    C4H10
 4       Isobutano                  C4H10
 4       Diethylamine               C4H11N
 4       Dimethylacetamide          C4H100N
 4       N-Butylacetate             C4H1002
 4       l-Butylacetate              C4H1002
 4       1,4-Dioxane                C4H802
 4       N-Butanol                  C4H100
 4       l-Butanol                  C4H100

 4       Butanal                   C4H80
                   fuel, tobacco smoke
                   fuel
                   floor lacquer
                   floor lacquer

                   edge sealing molding tape,
                   jointing compound, cement
                   flagstone, linoleum
                   floor covering, floor lacquer,
                   architectural coating
                                                                                   varnishes and lacquers, perfume,
                                                                                   artificial leather
                                                resins, dyes, phamtaceuticals, synthetic rubber
                                                solvent for many otganic reactions
                            solvent for many oils, waxes, dyes, cellulose acetate
                            flavors, perfumes, industrial cleaners, paint removers
                            tobacco smoke, plasticizers
                                                                                 •&U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1992 - 648-080/40235

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   M. Samfieid is a consultant.
   Bruce A. Tfchenor  is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
   The complete report, entitled "Indoor Air Quality Data Base for Organic com-
     pounds'(Order No. PB92-158 468/AS; Cost: $19.00; subject to change) will
     be available only from:
           National Technical Information Service
           5285 Port Royal Road
           Springfield,  VA 22161
           Telephone:  703-487-4650
   Tha EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
           Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
           U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
           Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental
Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
      BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
         EPA
   PERMIT No. G-35
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA/600/SR-92/025

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