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Assessment of Chemical Hazards in Sick Building Syndrome Situations: Determination of Concentrations and Origin of VOCs in Indoor Air Environments by Dynamic Sampling and TD-GC/MS Analysis

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Sick Building Syndrome

Abstract

The term sick building syndrome (SBS) is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience a series of varied symptoms that appear to be linked to time spent in the building. The causes of SBS remain unknown, but some factors have been described to contribute to SBS, such as outdoor and indoor chemical contaminants (e.g. volatile organic compounds (VOCs)). The knowledge of VOCs concentrations is very important to define air quality and toxicity; hence, a methodology for identifying and determining air quality and origin of VOCs in indoor air has been developed. The methodology is based on the retention of VOCs in glass multi-sorbent tubes self-filled with Carbotrap, Carbopack X and Carboxen 569 connected to specially designed LCMA-UPC pump samplers. Samples can be obtained during 24-h samplings, working hours samplings (8 h) and, in addition to that, the activation of samplers may also be done by the inhabitants of the dwelling when they perceive odorous and/or discomfort episodes. The analysis is performed by Automatic Thermal Desorption (ATD) coupled with capillary Gas Chromatography (GC)/ Mass Spectrometry Detector (MSD). Thus, an accurate determination of all VOCs present in the samples can be done.

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  1. Laboratori del Centre de Medi Ambient, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (LCMA-UPC), 08028, Barcelona, España

    Eva Gallego, Francisco Javier Roca & José Franciso Perales

  2. Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (INSHT), Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo, 08028, Barcelona, España

    Xavier Guardino

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  1. Eva Gallego
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  4. Xavier Guardino
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Correspondence to Eva Gallego .

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    Sabah A. Abdul-Wahab

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Gallego, E., Roca, F.J., Perales, J.F., Guardino, X. (2011). Assessment of Chemical Hazards in Sick Building Syndrome Situations: Determination of Concentrations and Origin of VOCs in Indoor Air Environments by Dynamic Sampling and TD-GC/MS Analysis. In: Abdul-Wahab, S. (eds) Sick Building Syndrome. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17919-8_16

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