Heavner, DL; Morgan, WT; Ogden, MW
Forty-nine nonsmoking married women participated in a home personal exposure study for 28 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). The women were selected and classified according to 18 socioeconomic categories based on age (18–34 y, 35–49 y, 50–64 y), family income (<$25K, $25K-$40K, >$40K), and husband's smoking status. Of the 29 analytes, 21 demonstrated no statistically significant difference in concentration between nonsmoking and smoking homes. One VOC, trichloroethylene, was elevated in the nonsmoking homes and seven VOCs, benzene, styrene, pyridine, 2-picoline, 3-picoline, 3-ethylpyridine, and 3-ethenylpyridine were elevated in the smoking homes. A correlation matrix and a factor analysis indicate that benzene and styrene were not significantly correlated or associated with 3-ethyenylpyridine, a proposed vapor phase environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) marker. All of the nitrogenous bases were significantly correlated with 3-ethenylpyridine. Benzene, styrene, and TVOC were not significantly correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked; however, 3-ethenylpyridine was significantly correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked. A Pearson correlation analysis indicated that gas heat and smoking husband were significantly correlated with elevated benzene concentrations, but a multiple regression model for benzene accounted for less than 30% of the total variance. ETS variables accounted for only 8% of the total variance. In the smoking homes, an apportionment technique was evaluated for selected VOCs in order to determine the median percentage of each analyte attributable to ETS. The results, with percentages attributable to ETS were TVOC (5.5%), benzene (13.2%), styrene (12.6%), pyridine (40.7%), 2-picoline (67.1%), 3-picoline (90.1%), 4-picoline (37.2%), and 3-ethylpyridine (62.0%). Indoor air sources other than ETS were also identified for limonene, tetrachlorethylene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and alkylbenzenes.
