THE STATE OF THE ART OF VOLATILE CARBONYL COMPOUNDS IN INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS: IMPACTS TO HEALTH AND SAMPLING METHODOLOGIES AND ANALYSIS. The primary sources of emission of volatile carbonyl compounds (CCs) in indoor environments are chipboard panels, laminate floors, plywood, paints and solvents, household products, fiberglass, gas stoves, heaters and heating systems. Several studies have already confirmed an indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio greater than 1 (one) for several CCs, indicating that these compounds are emitted mainly from internal sources. CCs (especially aldehydes and ketones) are easily absorbed into the airways, presenting a considerable mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic risk to humans. Therefore, this study aimed to review the CCs found in different indoor environments, the effects and impacts of these compounds on human health and the national and international guidelines that establish their maximum exposure limits. The methodologies most used in the literature to analyze CCs in the air were reviewed directly (in real-time) or indirectly (using pre-treatment steps). A detailed review of the sampling techniques: with and without adsorption, with and without derivatization, with adsorption and derivatization simultaneously; using various methodologies employed during the last decades (cartridges, filters, tubes or liquid absorbent-impinger) was carried out. Finally, this work describes the instrumental methods and the advantages and disadvantages of determining CCs individually and simultaneously in the atmosphere.
Keywords:
Volatile Carbonyl Compounds; indoor air; health impact; sampling; analysis
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