Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4.10
Glycols/Glycol Derivatives Measured in 200 German Apartments
Mean concentration
(
Maximum concentration
(
Compound
µ
g/m
3
)
µ
g/m
3
)
Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether
0.8
20.1
Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether
8.1
259.7
Ethylene glycol monophenyl ether
2.3
108
Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether
acetate
0.1
6.5
Diethylene glycol monomethyl
ether
0.6
164
Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether
1.4
108
Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether
3.0
158
Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether
acetate
1.7
302
1,2-propylene glycol
8.4
98
1,2-propylene glycol monomethyl
ether
9.9
835
1,2-propylene glycol monobutyl
ether
6.3
419
1,2-propylene glycol monophenyl
ether
0.7
110
Source:
From Pheninger, P. and Marchl, D.,
Proc. Indoor Air '99,
Edinburgh, 4, 171, 1999.
Ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and their deriva-
tives are commonly used in paints, varnishes, adhesives, and other products.
Concentrations of polyvalent alcohol compounds measured at detectable
levels in German apartments are summarized in
Table 4.10
.
Total glycol
compound concentrations higher than 100
g/m
3
were found in 30 (half had
been recently renovated) out of 200 apartments.
Concentrations of polyvalent alcohols and their derivatives in indoor
air are relatively low (because of their low vapor pressures). However,
emissions continue for longer periods of time than for more volatile VOCs.
Ethylene glycol emissions from latex paint do not show the rapid declines
observed for higher boiling point VOCs (
Figure 4.5
)
. As a consequence,
product emissions of polyvalent alcohols and their derivatives may occur
for months or years.
µ
E. SVOCs
A number of organic compounds present in indoor environments have boil-
ing points in the range of 240 to 260°C to 380 to 400°C with vapor pressures
ranging from 10
-1
to 10
-7
mm Hg. Such compounds are described as being
semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). They exist in gas and condensed
phases (adsorbed to particles). They include a variety of compound types
including solvents, linear alkanes, aldehydes and acids, pesticides (discussed
in the following section), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), poly-
chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and plasticizers. Concentrations of selected
