SEMI-VOLATILE ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN INDOOR AIR AND INDOOR DUST IN OTTAWA RESIDENCES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE

Potentially-harmful chemicals could be released from many indoor materials, including consumerproducts and building materials, into indoor environments. Semi-volatile chemicals (SVOCs) due totheir lower vapor pressure, are often present, either primarily in indoor dust or in both indoor air andindoor dust. Several types of SVOCs have been measured in indoor air and indoor dust of Ottawaresidential homes. This paper reports the summary results with focuses on the relative levels amongthe several types of SVOCs, their concentration ratios in air and dust, and the potential for humanexposure through inhalation of indoor air and ingestion of indoor dust for different age groups. Theintegrated data of indoor air and indoor dust provides a more complete picture of human non-dietaryexposure to these SVOCs. The results showed several orders of magnitude difference in indoor levelsamong SVOCs with phthalates being the most predominant ones, and also showed correlationbetween the octanol-air partition coefficient and the distribution of contaminants in air and dust. Theestimated daily intake of SVOCs also indicated the greater exposure of children to SVOCs in dust onper body weight basis.