determination of volatile organic compounds

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DETERMINATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS(VOCs) IN SELECTED HOTELS BY MEANS HEAD SPACE SOLIDSPACE MICROEXTRACTION (HS-SPME) COUPLED WITH GAS

CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS SPECTROMETRY (GC-MS)

HAFIZAH BINTI IBRAHIM

Final Year Project Report Submitted inPartial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science (Hons.) ChemistryIn the Faculty of Applied Sciences

Universiti Teknologi Mara

NOVEMBER 2010


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful to Allah because of His blessing I am able to

complete my final year project.

First of all, I would like to thank to my family especially my parents who always stay

by my side and keep motivating and encouraging me doing my best in completing

degree level at UiTM Shah Alam .

I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Miss Noraishah Binti Abdullah

for her support, guidance, encouragement, effort, advice, comment and guidance

during the preparation of this project.

My appreciation goes to En. Rozzan and En. Rosmi Laboratory Assistants of Faculty

Applied Science, for helping me in many ways to obtain, prepared equipments and

also run the experiment.

Lastly, my thanks goes to all who are involved directly or indirectly in doing this

project, thank you very much.

Hafizah Binti Ibrahim


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF FIGURES vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS viiiABSTRACT ix ABSTRAK x

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and problem statement 11.2 Significance of study 31.3 Objectives of study 4

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Investigation of Indoor Air Quality in School Buildings at Korea 52.2 Development of low Volatile Organic Compounds in Emission House 62.3 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Indoor Dust Matter 72.4 Determination of Benzene in Indoor Air 82.5 Atmospheric Particulate Matter 92.6 Changes in Indoor Pollutant 92.7 Indoor Air Quality in Hotel 102.8Comparative Study on Indoor Air Quality in Japan and Korea 11

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Materials / Apparatus 123.2 Sampling 12

3.2.1 Instrument of Sampling 123.2.2 Conditions of Instrument 133.2.3 Duration 133.2.4 Process of sampling 13

3.3 Methods / Sample Preparation 153.4 Conditions of GC-MS 173.5 Flow Chart of SPME Process 18


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CHAPTER 4 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Result for Total Suspended Particulate Matter 194.2 Result Obtained from GC-MS 22

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusion 265.2 Recommendations 27

CITED REFERENCES 28

APPENDICES 30

CURICULUM VITAE 62


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LIST OF TABLES

Table Title Page

4.1 Result for Total Suspended Matter 17

4.2 Result Obtained from GC-MS coupled with HS-SPME in 19Hotel A

4.3 Result Obtained from GC-MS coupled with HS-SPME in 20Hotel B


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List of figure

Figure Captions Page

3.1 Apex Personal Air Sampler 12

3.2 Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry 14

3.3 Solid Phase Microextraction 14


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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

IAQ : Indoor Air Quality

VOC : Volatile Organic Compound

PM : Particulate Matter

SPME : Solid Phase Microextraction

GCMS : Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

: micro

g : gram

L : litre

m3 : meter cubic

SO 2 : sulphur dioxide

NO 2 : nitrate dioxide

oC : degree Celsius

m : meter

PDMS : polydimethylsiloxane

API : Air Pollution Index


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ABSTRACT DETERMINATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs) IN

SELECTED HOTELS BY HEAD SPACE SOLID PHASEMICROEXTRACTION (HS-SPME) COUPLED WITH GASCHROMATOGRAPHY MASS SPECTROMETRY (GC-MS)

A study was conducted at different hotels located in area of Selangor and Kuala

Lumpur. The purposes of this study were to identify the Volatile Organic Compounds

(VOCs) that presence in Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Hotel and to compare the major

composition of VOC at five different places in those two hotels for six hours. Sample

sampling was conducted by using personal air sampler. Meanwhile, determination of

VOCs was conducted by using solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas

chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The values for total suspended matter

(TSP) for hotel A was quite high compare to hotel B because hotel A has better

ventilation system than hotel B. The method of SPME coupled with GCMS technique

proved that it is an effective technique in determining the VOCs in the indoor air

environment as the presence of Heptacosane, Eiocosane, 1, 3, 5-trimethyl benzeneand in hotel A.


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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and problem statement

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has become an important community concern due

to the increased amount of personal time spent in indoor environment.

Nowadays, people generally spend more than 80% of their time in an

indoor environment such as home, office, car and shopping centre. Some

studies showed that the level of pollutants in indoor environment is

actually higher than that in outdoor environment. Indoor air pollutant

mainly includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (Shaobin W., Ang

H.M., Moses O. T., 2006).

Volatile Organic Compounds are well-known indoor pollutants. These

pollutants are emitted from different sources such as combustion by-

products, cooking, construction materials, office equipment, and consumer

products. Many VOCs are known to be toxic and considered to be

carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic (Alberici and Jardim, 1997).


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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) comprise an important group of

pollutants, including organic solvents, commonly present in indoor and

outdoor air (Caro J., Gallego M., 2009). VOCs give rise to concern on both

local and global scales because of their important roles in photochemical

reactions and their toxic or mutagenic impact on human life and organisms.

For a long time there have been reports of adverse health effects due to

VOCs and these have recently been described in many studies. At low or

moderate concentrations in air, organic solvents may cause transient

symptoms such as euphoria, headache and vertigo while higher levels may

lead to anaesthesia, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and even death.

Damage caused by long-term exposure to the central nervous system may

include cognitive and emotional deficits as well as chronic. Toxic effects of

VOCs were reported to harm the liver and skin (Caro J., Gallego M., 2009).


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Significant of this study is to notify the public on what are the sources of

VOC that may present in indoor air quality of hotel. Moreover, this study

can be reference for the future studies in IAQ.

1.2 Objectives of Study

1. To identify the VOCs that presence in IAQ in hotel.

2. To compare the major composition of VOC at five different places

in the hotel (main entrance, lobby, wet kitchen, dry kitchen,

basement parking).


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CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Investigation of Indoor Air Quality in School Buildings at Korea.

In this study, indoor and outdoor air samples of VOCs were obtained from

three sites in enclosed buildings; a classroom, a laboratory and a computer

classroom. Volatile organic compounds, respirable dust and personal

factors are related to prevalence and incidence of sick building syndrome

(SBS) in primary schools (Norback et al., 1990).

Students are more susceptible to poor air quality especially in indoor air

quality within school classrooms. Indoor air pollution might increase the

chance of both long and short term health problems for students and staff,

reduce the pr oductivity of teachers and degrade the students learning

environment and comfort (Kim et al., 2006; Shaughnessy et al., 2006).

In conclusion, the result in this researched of indoor air pollution at theschools was caused by chemicals emitted from building materials or

furnishing, and insufficient ventilation rates.


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2.2 The Development of Low Volatile Organic Compound Emission

House

According to Guo et al., (2000), organic chemicals are widely used as

ingredients in household products such as paints, varnishes, glues,

construction materials and furnishings. The previous studies have

demonstrated the presence of VOCs in indoor materials and products.

Emissions of VOCs from household products are common in houses where

the sick building syndrome (SBS) appears. Sick building syndrome refers

to the situation in which building occupants report relatively non-specific

symptoms, such as mucous membrane irritation, headaches, stuffiness,

lethargy, and drowsiness, and which the occupants associate with

occupancy of the building (Hayward S.B., Wesolowoski, J.J 1993).

In conclusion from this research, the compound of VOC was obtained

from sources of domestic housing such as paints, varnishes, glues,

construction materials and furnishings (Guo et al., 2003).


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2.3 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Indoor Dust Matter:

Extraction and GC MS analysis

According to Maria et al., (2007), a variety of air pollutants, associated

with volatile semi-volatile and particulate matter, are generated in indoor

environment from human activities such as cooking, cleaning and

smoking. Among the hazardous pollutants polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important owing to their carcinogenicity and

mutagenicity.

Important indoor sources of these compounds are cigarette smoke,

emissions from domestic cooking stoves and fireplaces. Significantly, 50

75% of the particulate matters containing the PAHs generated due to

combustion of various cooking fuels are in respirable size range (Raiyani

et al., 1993).

This studied showed that high exposure levels to these PAHs compounds

indoor, particularly in poorly ventilated houses (Gachanja and Worsfold,

1993; Raiyani et al., 1993; Ramdahl et al., 1982; Smith, 1987).


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2.4 Determination of Benzene in Indoor Air Using GC-MS in Cooking

Time

According to Lynge et al., (1997), Benzene is a ubiquitous component in

the environment that has been linked to adverse health effects particularly

leukemia, plastic anemia, bone-marrow disorders in human and other

cancers, even at low dose. It is also toxic to the hematopoietic system and

causes acute myelogenous leukemia in population with occupational

exposure.

Combustion of biomass fuels produces a large number of air pollutants

including benzene. Therefore, it is essential to know the concentration of

benzene emitted due to combustion of biomass fuels during cooking time.

(Albalak et al., 2001).

From this result, the benzene concentration for cooks during cooking time

in indoor kitchen was 114.1 g/ m 3while it was 6.6 g/ m 3 for open type

kitchen. The benzene concentration was significantly higher in indoor

kitchen with respect to open type kitchen.


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2.5 Atmospheric Particulates Matter

According to Tasic et al., (2005) atmospheric particles generally occurred

in two distinct modes: the fine (PM 2.5) mode and the coarse (PM 10). The

fine particles composed a varying amount of VOCs and this size of

fraction is generally man-made (anthropogenic) processes such as road

transport, combustion sources, cleaning solvents and other.

The result from the investigation was obtained will substantially improved

the knowledge about the parameters in air quality that defined transport,

distribution and interaction of pollutant from the sources of pollution to

human population.

2.6 Changes in Indoor Pollutants

Charles (2008) stated that the concentration of indoor pollutants not only

depends on indoor emission rates but also on the rate of outdoor that was

transported from outside, and the rates at which it is scavenged by indoor

surfaces.

Most of building materials emit chemical into indoor air such as composite

wood, carpeting, flooring, paints for indoor applications, furnishings,

cleaning products because benzene was found many in cleaning products,

air fresheners and electronic equipment(Levin et al., 2008 ).

The result showed that changes in indoor emission of volatile pollutants

have impacted indoor environments faster than changes in emission of less

volatile pollutants.


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2.7 Indoor Air Quality in Hotel

According to Riedel (1995), less information about hotel IAQ and existing

guide books commissioned by the hotel trade association addresses general

IAQ problem linked more with VOCs than other material.

Volatile organic compounds were a major group of indoor air pollutants

which have substantial pressures at room temperature. The materials using

for constructing and renovating hotels exposed the greatest source of

indoor air quality (Sundell et al., 2004).

The result of this investigation showed that, comparisons between the

current study and the previous study were benzene, toluene,

ethylbenzene, and the isomeric xylenes (BTEX) concentration for new

hotel more seriously polluted than older hotels and residential buildings.


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2.8 Comparative study on Indoor Air Quality in Japan and China

Takeshi et al., (2009) were conducted a comparative study on the indoor

air quality for Japan and China to investigate aromatic VOCs in indoor

microenvironments (living room, bedroom, and kitchen) and outdoors in

summer and winter during 2006 2007. Throughout the samplings, the

indoor and outdoor concentrations of many of the targeted VOCs

(benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and trimethylbenzenes) in China

were significantly higher than those in Japan. The indoor concentrations of

VOCs in Japan were somewhat consistent with those outdoors, whereas

those in China tended to be higher than those outdoors.

Aromatic hydrocarbons such as BTEX form an important group of air

pollutants. In particular, the exposure risks of benzene and toluene should

be investigated in depth because of their high toxicity and/or high content

in air (Kume et al., 2008).


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3.2.2 Conditions of Instrument

Apex Lite entry point sampling pumps

Available as Standards and Pro Versions

Non- IS models only

Flow rates up to 5 l/m

Flow rates down to 800 m 1/m in high flow mode

3.2.3 Duration

Six hours

3.2.4 Process of Sampling

In this study, the samples from several sampling sites in the both hotel was

collected by using personal air sampler equipped with weighted cellulose

nitrate filter paper before and after sampling was done with flow rate 1L/

min After that the filters were transferred into personal air sampler at the

specific location for six hours. The filter papers were removed and placed

in Millipore transfer. The filter papers were weighed after collected and

the GC-MS coupled with HS-SPME were employed.

determination of volatile organic compounds

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