Wk. Jo et Kh. Park, Concentrations of volatile organic compounds in the passenger side and theback seat of automobiles, J EXP AN EN, 9(3), 1999, pp. 217-227
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE ANALYSIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
The in-vehicle volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations during commut
es have previously been measured in only one single interior sampling locat
ion, considering a sample collected in the single interior location as repr
esentative of overall VOC concentrations within an automobile. The present
study evaluated if the potential differences in VOC concentrations occur in
the automobiles' interior during idling and commuting under different driv
ing conditions associated with the use of air cleaning devices (ACDs) and i
nterior fan. The experiments were conducted under the low ventilation condi
tion with the windows and the vent closed and the fan off. The difference o
f VOC concentrations between passenger side and back seat during idling was
small. The variability of VOC concentrations with location inside automobi
les while commuting was not significant at p<0.05, regardless of the use of
ACDs and/or the interior fan, while inter-vehicle variability was signific
ant at p<0.05. In addition, currently available ACDs equipped with activate
d carbon filters in Korea were ineffective at removing VOCs from the interi
or of automobiles. The concentrations of the two lightest ones of the targe
t compounds, benzene and toluene, were significantly higher inside two vehi
cles than in the roadway air at p<0.05, while the in-vehicle and roadway co
ncentrations of the other target compounds did not differ significantly at
p<0.05 for both vehicles. The concentrations of all target VOCs, except ben
zene, were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the interior of older car than
of newer car. Median in-vehicle concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbe
nzene, p-xylene, m-xylene, and o-xylene were 38.3, 107, 9.2, 7.8, 16.9, and
10.7 mu g/m(3), respectively.