Characterisation of Volatile Organic Compounds at Hotels in Southern China

In the recent years, there has been a dramatic growth in the development of hotels in Southern China to meet the rapid demand of business and tourism industry. The indoor air quality of the hotels has become an important consideration due to a large workforce that is engaged in this industry. The objective of this study was to characterise the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in the indoor air in 13 new hotels in Southern China and assess their possible health impact. A 2-day non-simultaneous sampling was carried out in each of the hotels. Decorating materials, cleansing agents and even local regional pollutants outside the hotels could have a contribution and worsen indoor air quality. Toluene level was as high as 498 mu g m(-3) in a hotel fitted with lots of plywood products. The highest concentrations of methylene chloride (34 mu g m(-3)) and total carbonyls (517 mu g m(-3)) were detected in a hotel where high VOCs cleansing agents were used in guest rooms. In a hotel located in an industrial centre, acetone concentration of 102 mu g m(-3) was found. The second highest total VOCs concentration (445 mu g m(-3)) was observed in a newly renovated hotel. Wooden interior fixtures and wall panels were identified as the major sources of VOCs and carbonyls found inside the guest rooms

Seasonal variations of monocarbonyl and dicarbonyl in urban and sub-urban sites of Xi'an, China

Seventeen airborne carbonyls including monocarbonyls and dicarbonyls were determined in urban and sub-urban sites of Xi&#39;an, China in three seasons in 2010. In winter, acetone was the most abundant carbonyl in the urban site due to usage of organic solvents in constructions and laboratories and its slower atmospheric removal mechanisms by photolysis and reaction with hydroxyl radical than those of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. In the sub-urban site, acetaldehyde was the most abundant carbonyl, followed by formaldehyde and acetone. During summer, however, formaldehyde was the most dominant carbonyl in both sites. The photooxidations of a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) yielded much more formaldehyde than other carbonyls under high solar radiation and temperature. In the urban site, the average concentrations of dicarbonyls (i.e., glyoxal and methyglyoxal) in spring and summer were higher than that in winter. Transformation of aromatic VOCs emitted from fuel evaporation leads to the formation of 1,2-dicarbonyls. A reverse trend was observed in suburban sites, as explained by the relatively low abundances and accumulations of VOC precursors in the rural atmosphere during warm seasons. Moreover, cumulative cancer risk based on measured outdoor carbonyls (formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) in Xi&#39;an Jiaotong University and Heihe was estimated (8.82x10(-5) and 4.96x10(-5), respectively). This study provides a clear map on the abundances of carbonyls and their source interpretation in the largest and the most economic city in Northwestern China.</p