Research data on volatile organic compounds detected in indoor and outdoor air of residential environments in China and India

<b>Introduction</b>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility, which are emitted from solid or liquid sources. Emission sources indoors include furniture and building materials, cleaning and cooking activities, consumer products and office equipment. Among the various VOCs, some of them may have short- and/or long-term adverse health effects. Therefore, it is important to understand the VOC compositions that people are exposed to in indoor and outdoor environments. However, accurate monitoring of VOCs is not available for many researchers and the public. Chemical Insights, a unit of UL Research Institutes, has conducted research initiatives on characterizing VOCs in indoor and outdoor environments in China and India with collaboration with Duke University. To increase data transparency and share useful information, these research data are made available to stakeholders such as researchers, educators, and general public who may need environmental VOC data.<b>Methods</b>The methods of sample collection and analysis have been developed and validated previously. VOCs were collected on Tenax® TA (60/80 mesh) sorbent tubes and then thermally desorbed and analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) following the US EPA Methods TO-17¹ and TO-1². Individual VOCs were quantified using multi-point calibration curves with authentic standards if available. Total VOC (TVOC) was the sum of toluene equivalent response in C₆ to C₁₆ range. Low-molecular-weight carbonyls (aldehydes) samples were collected on 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridges and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) following EPA Method TO-11A.³ The laboratory quality program enables the accuracy of the identification and quantification of analyzed VOCs and aldehydes. The China campaign included 42 households in Shanghai collected in April 2017;⁴ the India campaign included 26 homes in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Gujarat during May 2019 and January 2020.⁵ Details of the study and sampling plan can be found in peer-reviewed publications.^4,5<b>Database</b>This database includes all detected VOCs with their concentrations from China and India campaigns. This database provides information on indoor and outdoor VOC compositions and levels. In addition, the China data includes a comparison for the impact of filtration (portable air cleaner with HEPA and carbon filters) on indoor VOC levels. The India data includes comparisons of diurnal (morning vs. afternoon) and seasonal (summer vs. winter) differences of VOCs at the same location. This database helps in understanding the variation of indoor and outdoor VOC species in different countries and regions, the potential sources of indoor and outdoor VOCs, as well as the trends of VOCs under different spatial and temporal variations. This data allows users to identify commonly (or uniquely) and abundantly existing chemical agents in different environments and the range of their levels due to variations in locations, time, settings and activities. This data is beneficial for a wide range of stakeholders, including consumers, manufacturers, researchers, policymakers, educators, and the public. <b>Please see </b><b>ULRI_CHINA+INDIA_NOTE file</b><b> for details of data dictionary.</b><b>Data portal</b>The data portal provides an interactive way of viewing and screening data by selecting the parameters of interest. Users can download the data as needed.<b>References</b>US EPA. Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Second Edition Compendium Method TO-17 Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Using Active Sampling Onto Sorbent Tubes, 1999.US EPA. Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air - Second Edition. Compendium Method TO-1 Method for the Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Ambient Air Using Tenax® Adsorption and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), 1999.US EPA. Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Second Edition Compendium Method TO-11A Determination of Formaldehyde in Ambient Air Using Adsorbent Cartridge Followed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), 1999.Norris, C.; Fang, L.; Barkjohn, K. K.; Carlson, D.; Zhang, Y.; Mo, J.; Li, Z.; Zhang, J.; Cui, X.; Schauer, J. J.; Davis, A.; Black, M.; Bergin, M. H. Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds in Suburban Homes in Shanghai, China, and the Impact of Air Filtration on Compound Concentrations. Chemosphere 2019, 231, 256–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.05.059.Norris, C. L.; Edwards, R.; Ghoroi, C.; Schauer, J. J.; Black, M.; Bergin, M. H. A Pilot Study to Quantify Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Sources Inside and Outside Homes in Urban India in Summer and Winter during Normal Daily Activities. Environments 2022, 9 (7), 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments9070075.<br>