Detailed Investigation of the Contribution of Gas-Phase Air Contaminants to Exposure Risk during Indoor Activities

Analytical capabilities in atmospheric chemistry provide
new opportunities
to investigate indoor air. HOMEChem was a chemically comprehensive
indoor field campaign designed to investigate how common activities,
such as cooking and cleaning, impacted indoor air in a test home.
We combined gas-phase chemical data of all compounds, excluding those
with concentrations <1 ppt, with established databases of health
effect thresholds to evaluate potential risks associated with gas-phase
air contaminants and indoor activities. The chemical composition of
indoor air is distinct from outdoor air, with gaseous compounds present
at higher levels and greater diversityand thus greater predicted
hazard quotientsindoors than outdoors. Common household activities
like cooking and cleaning induce rapid changes in indoor air composition,
raising levels of multiple compounds with high risk quotients. The
HOMEChem data highlight how strongly human activities influence the
air we breathe in the built environment, increasing the health risk
associated with exposure to air contaminants.