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Chemical Partitioning of Emerging Indoor Organic Pollutants
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- Author / Creator
- Wu, Shuang
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Given that modern humans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, the indoor environment is crucial for chemical exposure. Emerging indoor organic pollutants, such as microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) from molds, impact air quality and health. Additionally, flavoring agents released from vaping can lead to thirdhand exposure. The phase distribution of these pollutants affects how humans are exposed. However, predicting the environmental behavior of indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remains challenging due to insufficient data.
This study uses a chemical two-dimensional (2D) partitioning model to visualize pollutant phase distributions in a triphasic indoor system (air, polar, and weakly-polar reservoirs). It highlights the importance of accurately measuring partitioning coefficients, especially Henry’s Law constant (H), which is affected by hydration and liquid-phase reactions. Combining experimental methods like inert gas-stripping (IGS) method and variable phase ratio headspace (VPR-HS) with the model techniques, the study reveals that VOCs often distribute between indoor air and weakly polar reservoirs, with distribution dependent on environmental conditions. Additionally, chemical partitioning can result in persistent indoor exposure.
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- Subjects / Keywords
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2024
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.