Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
chapter four
Organic contaminants
A large variety of natural and synthetic organic compounds can be found
in indoor environments. These include very volatile organic compounds
(VVOCs) which have boiling points ranging from <0°C to 50-100°C, volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) with boiling points ranging from 50-100°C to
240-260°C, semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) with boiling points
ranging from 240-260°C to 380-400°C, and solid organic compounds (POMs)
with boiling points in excess of 380°C. In the last case, POMs may be com-
ponents of airborne or surface dusts.
Organic compounds reported to contaminate indoor environments
include a large variety of aliphatic hydrocarbons, which may be straight,
branch-chained, or cyclic (contain single bonds [alkanes] or one or more
double bonds [alkenes]); aromatic hydrocarbons (contain one or more ben-
zene rings); oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as aldehydes, alcohols, ethers,
ketones, esters, and acids; and halogenated hydrocarbons (primarily chlorine
and fluorine containing). These may be emitted from a number of sources
including building materials and furnishings, consumer products, building
cleaning and maintenance materials, pest control and disinfection products,
humans, office equipment, tobacco smoking, and other combustion sources.
Organic compounds which are seen as relatively distinct indoor contam-
ination problems include the aldehydes, VOCs/SVOCs which include a large
number of volatile as well as less volatile compounds, and pesticides and
biocides which are, for the most part, SVOCs.
I. Aldehydes
Aldehydes belong to a class of compounds called carbonyls. Carbonyls,
which include aldehydes and ketones, have the functional group
