Measurement of Total Amount of Volatile Organic Compounds in Fresh and Indoor Air in Four Kindergartens in Ahvaz City

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) are considered as one of the most well-known air pollutants, especially in the indoor environments. The aim of this study was to measure the amount of TVOCs in indoor and fresh air around the intended kindergartens and investigation the association between indoor and outdoor concentrations. Materials and Methods: The measurement was done in four kindergartens in Ahvaz city in five days between 9 to 10 o'clock in the morning. Overall, 40 samples were collected.The PhoCheck PID Detector portal device was used for activity sampling in this study. Also, the results were reported by SPSS16 Software and descriptive statistics. Results: The mean of measured TVOC in the indoor and outdoor air were 50 µg/m3 (SD= ±74) and 495 µg/m3 (SD= ±310) respectively. The analyses conducted by the paired-samples t-test and it indicated that the amount of fresh air is not effective on the indoor environment values. Conclusion: The measured values in indoor air of these kindergartens depend on internal factors and appropriate ventilation is slightly had been effective.

Keywords

• kindergarten
• total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs)
• fresh air
• indoor environment